Life Bites
by hallyu1
Summary: When you've lived 1000 years and you're the Vampire King, life really bites. But things start getting a little more interesting with Oo's greatest hero around. Fiona. He'd never met anyone like her. She made him feel more alive somehow. Despite opposite personalities, they became the best of friends. But things start changing and feelings grow...something he thought wasn't possible
1. Chapter 1

_**I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I had to write it down! . I'm starting out by rewriting episodes with Marceline in it, but replacing them with Marshall and Fiona. But I'll branch out and do my own editions as I write more. The updates may be inconsistent, so I apologize. I hope you enjoy it. And please review and let me know what you think. Suggestions, comments, opinions, anything's appreciated :)**_

**Chapter 1**

Lightning flashed outside the tree house, accompanied by an earsplitting boom. Rain pelted the house relentlessly, the heavy pitter-patter echoing throughout the house. Fiona, brushed her blonde hair from her face as she sat listening to Cake's story. The only thing keeping her long hair from tumbling all over the bed was her white rabbit-eared hat.

"And as it waded through the carnage it had wrought, the vampire SMASHED THEIR SKULLS!" Cake squeezed the jelly donut in her paw, her claws digging into the dough. Red jelly oozed out from the pastry. "Just for the fun of it!"

Fiona gasped. "No way!" Dressed in a simple red fleece nightgown, she inched further into the sleeping bag. She pulled the fur blankets closer. "Stop it, Cake! You're just messing with me, aren't you?"

The white and orange cat smirked. "Yes way, it did!" She stood up and approached the bed. "And then the vampire hunched over its victims and breathed their vaporized blo-o-o-od mi-i-i-ist!" Cake waved her fingers spookily. "Oo-o-o-o-o-o~!"

"Ew, gross!" She gently shoved her away. "You're making this up, right? Is that stuff really true? Be honest!"

"Girl, it's true! Trust me, I heard it from a _very_ reliable source." Cake grinned. "Have I ever lied to you?"

"Reliable?" She groaned, pulling the blankets closer. "Man…."

"And you know what? Some say the vampire used to haunt this very tree!"

"_This_ tree?!"

"M-m-mhm!" Cake picked up the candle from the nightstand and started to climb down the ladder. She snickered. "Good ni-i-i-ight," she said in a spooky tone.

"Cake! You're full of it, Cake! I know it!"

Soon the candle's faint glow disappeared as Cake climbed downstairs. As Cake's soft footsteps faded, Fiona sunk down below the covers. She pulled them up over her shoulders. Occasionally a bolt of lightning would illuminate the bedroom, accompanied by a loud rumble of thunder. The droning sound of rain was constant. She glanced around the room nervously. Fiona didn't really believe Cake. She always liked to tell stories to try and scare her. But for some reason, the atmosphere just made the story that much more believable. She rolled over in her sleeping bag. All of the shadows seemed more menacing for some reason. It was probably just Cake's story messing with her head. Fionna sighed.

A light tapping sound startled her. Fiona gasped, her eyes snapping open. She sat bolt upright in bed. She scanned the room, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then she heard it again. She fixed her eyes on the window. She could faintly make out the blurry outline of a tree branch outside. It was scraping against the window thanks to the strong wind outside. Then something outside moved. A shadow passed over the glass. The silhouette of person appeared in the lower corner of the window, tapping on the glass. Fiona squinted, trying to get a better look. A flash of lightning illuminated the room. She caught a glimpse of a pale face shrouded in black hair. Bright red eyes glowed. There was a hiss. And as quickly as she had seen it, it was gone.

Fiona screamed. "Cake! Cake!"

Cake's rushed footsteps scrambled up the ladder. The room was lit up with candlelight as she emerged at the top of the ladder. "What's goin' on, baby? What're you screamin' for?"

She leaped out of bed and rushed over to the cat. "I saw someone outside the window! It must be the vampire." Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Fiona's blood was pumping and her mind was racing. Cake wasn't lying! There was a vampire! "And we're totally unprepared so—"

Cake burst out laughing. "Relax, girl! I made the whole thing up. I was just tryin' to scare you." She nudged her in the side and winked.

"Wait." She narrowed her eyes. "You said you heard it from a reliable source."

The cat snickered. "I made that up to. I was just tryin' to _scare_ you, Fiona. And it worked! Take it easy, baby."

Suddenly the windows burst open. The candles blew out. Cake leaped back, all her fur standing on end. She hissed. Some of the rain blew in through the open window. She hid behind Fiona, the fur on her back bristling. Fiona hurried to the window. She leaned her head out and glanced around.

"There's nothing there…." Fiona pushed the windows shut and locked them. "It was just the wind, scaredy cat!"

Hands on her hips, Cake frowned. "You take that back! You know how much I hate that term! It's demeaning." She turned away in a huff. "Besides, I wasn't scared…" she muttered.

Fiona laughed. "You're such wimp."

A thump behind them made them both jump. Fiona snatched a flashlight from the nightstand. She flicked it on and pointed the beam toward the source of the sound. A large duffle bag lay on the floor, close to the ladder.

"Huh? How'd that get in here?" She started to approach it.

"Oh, girl, we got trouble!" Cake's tail bristled, doubling in size. "My tail is totally frizzing out!"

A dark chuckle echoed in the bedroom. Fiona pointed the flashlight up, searching for the source of the voice. The beam illuminated a pair of red converse sneakers before finding the rest of the body. A teenager in jeans and a red and black checkered shirt was floating near the ceiling. He had short black hair and pale skin. He chuckled again and hissed as the flashlight lit up his red glowing eyes.

Fiona screamed, stumbling back toward the bed. Cake shrieked, then hissed. Fiona tripped, falling back onto the bed. The boy floated down toward them. He slowly lowered himself between them and draped his arms around them.

"Hey, guys," he said calmly in a dark voice. "What's up? Never seen you two here before." He grinned, revealing his sharp fangs. "I'm Marshall Lee, the Vampire King."

Trying not to act scared, Fiona scooted away slowly. She was shaking as she stared at him. "A-are you gonna smash my skull and b-breath my blood mist?"

"Don't suck our blood!" Cake trembled.

Marshall laughed. "Calm down, scaredy cats, I'm not gonna do that." He snapped his fingers and the candles in the room burst to life.

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Cake frowned, hands on her hips.

"Yeah, whatever, kitty."

"So…" Fiona said hesitantly. "You _don't_ suck blood?"

He smirked. "_Sometimes_ I do. But it's not the blood I like, it's the color." A mischievous glint leaped into his eyes. Marshall gently took Fiona's hand and lifted it to his lips. With a soft hiss, he sunk his fangs into the sleeve of her nightgown. The red slowly drained away toward his mouth, leaving her in a gray gown.

Fiona jumped. She shoved him away, her cheeks slightly flushed. "What the heck're you doing?!"

Marshall chuckled. "You're funny. Never seen a girl like you before." He floated up, leaving Fiona and Cake, slightly shaken, sitting on the bed. He hovered in the air as he started toward the duffle bag. He yawned. "I'm beat. Been traveling all over Oo, and man, I've seen some stuff that would _really_ make you say 'like what'."

"Like what?" Fiona sat up straighter.

"Let's see." He rummaged through his bag. "I found a school of goldfish beasts, and fooled around in the Fire Kingdom. I tell you, they throw some freaky nasty parties up in there."

"Wow! That sounds amazing!"

"Fiona," Cake whispered nervously.

"Oh yeah! Check these out." Marshall floated toward them and sat down between the two. He held out his hand, a couple of walnuts in his palm.

"Nuts?" Fiona arched an eyebrow. "What's so special about that?"

"Oh, these aren't just _ordinary_ nuts." He smirked. "Get a load of this."

He squeezed the nuts until a sharp cracking sound came from his palm. When he opened his hand, little multi-colored animals were crawling around where the walnuts had been. They leaped off his hand and crawled all over Fiona. She giggled.

"That's so cool! You're not so bad, Marshall."

"Yeah…" Cake said nervously. "Thanks for not sucking our blood."

"You guys seem pretty cool too," he said. He yawned again and stretched. "But you know, I'm pretty tired, so you two should _probably_ get going."

"Huh?" Fiona sat up straighter. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed and waved his hand toward the tree trunk that grew through the middle of the room. "Look." A picture nailed to the tree moved suddenly, revealing a faded _M_ carved into the bark. "_M_ for _Marshall_."

"O-o-oh no…." Cake scooted closer to Fiona. "What're we gonna do?" she whispered.

"Calm down."

"Yeah, I carved it in this tree years ago. Wa-a-ay before you girls started livin' here," Marshall said. He wrapped one arm around Fiona's shoulder and the other around Cake's. He lifted them off the bed and floated them over to the window. Rain was still pouring. Cake hissed, her fur bristling as she got wet. Marshall set them on the ground and floated back up to the bedroom window. "Seriously though, thanks for keeping the place warm for me. That was really cool of you."

Cake shrunk down and climbed under Fiona's white hat. She curled up, hiding from the rain.

"Later!" Marshall hollered as he closed the window.

"Hey, wait!" Fiona shouted. "You can't just kick us out of our house!"

"Come on, Fiona," Cake hissed. "Let's just get out of here!"

Fiona pounded on the door. "Get down here, dude! I'll kick your butt!"

"Fiona, wait!" She dug her claws into Fiona's hair, making the girl wince. "Girl, he's a vampire!"

Suddenly Fiona's pillow and backpack landed on the ground, along with Cake's dulcimer. "Hey!" Fiona glared up at the bedroom window. Marshall chuckled and closed the glass again. "I'm gonna kill him," she muttered.

"Girl, if half the stories I've heard and or made up are true, vampires _will_ kill you," Cake said. "There's no doubt about it!"

They both glanced up at the window. Marshall was pressed up against the glass, watching them with an evil smirk on his face. His eyes glowed red as another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. He chuckled and disappeared into the house.

"But what about our house?" Fiona persisted.

"A _vampire_ took it!" Cake said angrily. "Don't worry, baby. We'll just go house hunting!"

"But I like our home…I dunno…."

"Girl, trust me! It'll be great."

Fiona sighed, scooping up the things Marshall had dropped. "Alright. I guess it's worth a shot. Let's go…."

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Marshal floated lazily across the room, but stayed close enough to the window so he could see out. Fiona was still down standing in the rain, arguing with her cat. Finally she picked up her stuff and trudged off in the direction of the Candy Kingdom. He hovered close to the window, watching her go.

"What a weird girl," he muttered.

Arms folded behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling. Now that she had left, the tree house was awfully quiet. Maybe he had been a little harsh with her. She _was_ a girl after all. But what did he care? He was Marshall Lee—the Vampire King. He catered to no one. And it just so happened that he wanted to crash in his old house, so he had to get rid of the new tenants. He pulled his red axe-shaped base from his duffle bag. He strummed away, humming softly to himself. And as he played, the sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting warm rays in through the window. He hissed and darted into the shadows.

"Man, this bites." He sat down in the shadowy corner and strummed his bass. "If I had known it was gonna be this boring, I wouldn't have kicked them out right away."

They seemed like pretty cool girls. Suddenly an evil idea came to him. They had seemed pretty bummed that he kicked them out of their tree house. It might be fun to mess with them a little more. Snatching a wide-brimmed hat and jacket from his bag, he pulled them on. Using his vampire powers, he turned invisible and flew out the window after them. He chuckled to himself as he watched them go house hunting. Some of the places they tried were ridiculous. Places like under rocks, hollow trees, and Fiona even suggested a beehive at one point. But when they finally made it to an old cave near the ocean, their spirits seemed to lift. He floated lazily, unseen, near the mouth of the cave. He watched as the cleaned up the place and built a little house near the water. It was kind of disappointing how upbeat they were. Heck, they even threw a party.

_This should be fun_, Marshall thought. _Let's see what they'll do when I crash their little party_.

By now it was nighttime. He tossed off the hat and jacket and released his invisibility power. He threw open the door and strode inside. He danced to the music they had playing. Marshall snuck up behind Fiona.

"Nice party you got goin' on," he said.

Fiona jumped. "Marshall?! What are you doing here?"

"Just came to chill. I see you got yourself a pretty nice place."

What do you want?" she asked, annoyed.

"Fiona," Cake whispered nervously.

"Oh, I just wanted to show you something." He waved his hand, a small rock flying across the cave. The stone floor beneath where the rock had been had an _M_ carved into it. "This cave belongs to me!"

"What?!" Fiona shouted. "You can't be serious! You can't take our home _again_!"

He chuckled. "Oh yes I can!"

"I'll kill you, you jerk!"

Cake grabbed her arm. "Fiona, honey, wait! Let's just find a new place."

"No way! He can't just take our house again!"

"Fiona, vampires _will_ kill you! Besides, home is where your friends are, remember?"

Fiona sighed. "Fine…." She glared at Marshall. "Okay, Marshall. You can have this place, but only because Cake is my home. And she's way better than all your homes combined!"

He arched an eyebrow. "That so? Well, then." He swooped down and snatched Cake away. "How about I just take her then?"

"Cake!"

"Fiona! Help!" Cake was trembling.

"Maybe I'll just bite her…turn her into a zombie slave."

"Uh-uh! No thank you!" Cake squirmed in his grasp.

"Give her back!" Fiona shouted.

He smirked. "Make me."

Fiona charged at him. She swung at him, but he avoided her easily. He laughed as she tried to punch his lights out. She had spunk. He liked that. He smirked and tossed the cat down at her. Fiona caught Cake clumsily. She glared up at him.

"What gives, Marshall? What's with you?" she said.

"You know, you're alright. I like you. So I'll tell you what." He floated closer to her. "I'll let you keep your little tree house. Think of it as a present from me."

"What?" Fiona was taken aback. "For real?"

"Yeah." He snatched her chin and pulled her closer. "Just don't get too comfy, girl. Remember, I'm a vampire. So I'm not good." He sneered. "Don't forget it."

She slapped his hand away. "Yeah, whatever. But thanks anyway."

"Come on, Fiona! Let's get out of here!" Cake hissed.

"Yeah, go on. Scram!" Marshall laughed as they high tailed it out of the cave. She was definitely an interesting one. He'd been in desperate need of entertainment. Touring Oo had been fun and all, but he had been getting pretty bored—especially since he didn't have anyone to hang out with. But she seemed cool enough. He grinned at the thought of messing with them again. Things were starting to get interesting.

**_Chapter 2 coming soon!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thought I'd put up the second chapter, just so I have a little more of my story up. Hopefully you'll enjoy it! Please shoot me a review when you finish. I'd love to know what you guys think :)**_

**Chapter 2**

"Look out below, Cake!"

The crickets were chirping in the surrounding forest. The sun had set a long time ago, and on their way home, they had stumbled upon mound of old, bleached dragon bones. Fiona stood atop the dragon's back. Below, the beast's wing bone sloped down into an empty ditch. Cake was sitting at the bottom, waiting for her.

"Here I come!" she hollered.

She took a running start and slid down the wing bone like a slide. She shouted as she slid down it to the ditch below. Cake's tail flicked back and forth in excitement. When she hit the mound of dirt at the bottom, small bones flew off in every direction. Fiona laughed, scrambling up the side of the ditch to do it again.

Marshall sat peeking out at them from behind the bushes. He was dressed nicer than when they first met. He wore a shirt and tie with a blazer that hung open loosely. He looked like he was headed to a party or wedding…or maybe a funeral. The girls were so engrossed in what they were doing that they hadn't noticed him at all. It had been a while since he teased Fiona and Cake. Normally the girls were out being heroes and stuff, so he didn't see them much. He smirked, disappearing into the foliage.

"That was awesome!" Fiona cried.

Hurrying over to the old man waiting in the forest clearing, Marshall chuckled. "Okay. Now just pretend you're miserable and do everything I say. Got it?"

The man gave him a thumbs-up. "You got it, Marshall," he said in his raspy old voice. He started sobbing and pleading. Soon rushed footsteps and the rustle of bushes could be heard behind them.

Arms folded, Marshall stared down at the little old man. "What is it about 'henchman for life' that you don't understand?"

"Oh, come on…" he pleaded.

Fiona gasped. "Cake, it's Marshall Lee."

Cake immediately started trembling. She was still afraid of vampires.

"Can't you find the compassion to release this poor old body?" the old man begged.

"Henchman for life mean's henchman for _life_, dude!" Marshall chuckled. "Now fall on the ground for me!"

The old man sighed. "Yes, master." His knees wobbling, he fell face first on the ground. He groaned.

"Now cry, gramps!"

"O-okay…. I don't want to cry, but I shall cry for _you_, master." Immediately the man started wailing, tears streaming down his face.

Fiona rushed out of the bushes. "Hey! Cut it out!" She ran to the old man's side and knelt beside him. She helped him sit up. Cake followed nervously. She didn't want to get too close to the vampire.

"Well well, if it isn't my favorite goody-two-shoes, Fiona," Marshall said with a smirk.

"Stop making this poor old dude cry!"

Marshall laughed. "I can make him do whatever I want. Watch." He glanced down at the old man. "Henchman, amuse me."

Using his cane, the old man shakily pulled himself to his feet. "Yes, master." He hopped up on his cane, balancing himself with one hand while the other arm flailed around.

Fiona frowned. "Stop it!"

"Now, hop around in a circle," he said twirling his finger in a circular motion.

The man obediently began hopping in a circle while balancing on his cane. He only made it a few hops before the end snapped and he came tumbling down. He landed with a hard thud, joints and bones popping. He groaned. Fiona gasped. She helped him sit up slowly.

"Don't worry, mister. I'll make sure you get set free," she said.

Marshall arched an eyebrow. "Yeah? And how you gonna pull _that_ off, _hero_?" he asked sarcastically.

"I'll do whatever it takes. I'll even take his place if I have to! But I won't let you push him around anymore!"

"Girl, what you talkin' about?" Cake said in shock.

"You mean it?" Marshall leaned closer.

"Well…." She glanced down at the old man groaning beside her. He looked miserable and downright pathetic. She sighed. "Heck yeah. But you have to promise to let him go!"

"Deal." Marshall snapped his finger. "Old henchman, you're free."

The old man gasped and sat up straight. He hooted and hollered in joy before bounding off. He seemed much more spry and lively than he had seconds ago.

"What?! Hey wait, how'd he…?" Cake stuttered. She scooted closer to Fiona. "Girl, what're you doin'?"

"Hey, Cake," Marshall said softly. When the cat glanced at him, he hissed loudly, his face contorting into a warped bat-like scowl. Cake's tail bushed out and she hid behind Fiona.

"Sorry, Cake," Fiona whispered. "But I couldn't watch him take advantage of that old man. You know I'm all about justice and junk."

Marshall laughed. "Are you for real? _Justice_, huh? What a joke!"

"Hey!" Cake scowled at him.

He arched an eyebrow. "Yeah?" In an instant he was in front of the cat, his normal face warped into a hideous bat creature with glowing red eyes. He hissed. "What did you want to say, Cake?"

The cat darted behind Fiona. "Oh, girl, you know I wanna help you out of this mess…but that guy scares the fleas off me! He makes my fur all stand on end! Let's just go home…."

"I can't…as a hero, I'm bound by my word."

Marshall snatched her by her backpack and dragged her away. She shrieked in shock. He flew her up into the sky, far away from her cat. Cake shouted Fiona's name over and over again, but soon she was out of sight. Fiona's blonde hair fluttered in the cool night air. As they flew over the forest, Marshall glanced back at the clearing. He couldn't see the cat anywhere. Maybe they were in the clear. Fiona struggle a little.

"Stop holding me up like that!" she complained. "It hurts."

"Okay, okay. Quit your whining." He chuckled. "You know, you're really lucky, Fiona. Your first job as henchman is to help me feed."

She gasped. "Feed?! You mean like…pizza or a sandwich or something?" She glanced around nervously. Sweat rolled down her neck. She clenched her fists and shook her head. "I guess it doesn't matter…whatever it is, I can handle it!"

He flew them down toward a small cottage nestled in a little valley. It was far away from any other towns, and in the darkness of night, no one would hear the victim's screams. Light from the open window lit up the ground outside. From inside the house, they could hear the light and slow melodies of a piano. Marshall set Fiona down in front of the cottage before landing beside her.

"Sounds like dinner." Arms folded, he gestured toward the house. "Fiona, open the door."

Frowning up at him, she slouched toward the door. She reached for the knob, her hand shaking. She knew she shouldn't do it, knew that the poor soul inside didn't deserve to be eaten by a vampire, but she was bound by her word. Then again she couldn't just stand by and let an innocent person be killed.

"Open it already! What're you waiting for?" he said impatiently.

"No!" She rounded on him, fists clenched. "I'm not gonna open the door if innocent people are gonna get hurt!"

"Aren't you bound by your word to do what I say?" He arched an eyebrow. "So what's it gonna be, miss goody-two-shoes?"

"But—I…." Fiona sighed. "Yes…."

She had to obey him whether she wanted to or not. She trudged toward the door and opened it slowly. A cool breeze blew through the house, extinguishing the candles. A woman in a red dress, sitting at the piano looked up in shock and gasped. Fiona hung her head. She was ashamed that she was helping Marshall do this to a poor innocent woman.

"What's going on?" the woman cried.

"Sorry about this," Fiona muttered.

The woman gasped. "Oh my!"

"Hold her down!" Marshall ordered.

Fiona groaned, but complied. Marshall slammed the door shut behind them. Fiona snatched the woman and pushed her to the floor. She held the woman down, her own arms trembling. She wasn't even sure what Marshall was about to do. But whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"You enjoying this, Fiona?" he said teasingly.

"No way!"

He laughed evilly as he leaned over his victim.

"Please, human girl," the woman begged. "Let me go."

"I'm sorry, lady. But I'm bound by my honor to do what he says," she muttered.

The woman sighed. "I understand, dear. I was married once myself."

Fiona's face flushed a deep red. "Wait, wait! What?! No! Im' not married to—"

Marshall groaned impatiently. "Man, enough talking already! Dinner is served!" He leaned over the woman, mouth wide. But as he neared her neck, Fiona jerked the woman away.

"No!" Fiona cried.

"Huh?" He tried again, But Fiona dragged the lady out of harm's reach. "How dare you, henchman! I _order_ you to let me feed!" He pointed at Fiona and her body instantly went rigid. Her nerves were frozen in place. She struggled to move, but her body wouldn't listen. He chuckled and turned his attention again to the woman. He hissed and hunched over her. The woman screamed. He sunk his fangs into the shoulder of the dress.

"Noooo!" Fiona shouted, eyes wide.

Slowly the red of the woman's dress melted away. Marshall sucked out the color through his fangs until there was nothing but white cloth left behind. He sat up and sighed, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Mm…man, that red dress hit the spot! Know what I'm sayin'?"

"Wait…what?" The spell wore off and Fiona could move again. Her body relaxed and she stared at the woman on the floor in confusion.

"What's wrong Fiona?" Marshall asked.

"I-I thought…I thought you were…."

The woman sat up. "Oh my! A white dress!" A bright smile spread across her face as she looked up at Marshall. Her eyes sparkled with joy. "Thank you so much, young man! It's so beautiful."

"But, but," Fiona stammered.

"What? You know I eat the color red. Don't tell me you forgot."

"Oh…yeah…um, okay…."

"Come on." Marshall stood up and shoved her toward the door. "We've got more evil stuff to do before the night's over."

Once they were outside, he grabbed her hand and flew up into the sky. He could feel her hand trembling as he held it tightly. Her skin was warm, unlike his. He chuckled to himself. He loved the confused look she had on her face when he ate the woman's red dress. He knew she had thought he was going to suck her blood instead. He loved messing with her. The urge was just too irresistible. He spotted an old graveyard near the edge of the forest. He swooped down and dropped her in the middle of the cemetery. Marshall floated above an old coffin.

"Hmm. You know," he said. "This place seems a little dead. But don't worry, it'll soon be _un_dead."

"What?!" Fiona's legs were trembling.

Marshall landed atop the crumbling tombstone. Fingers curled, he swept his hand over the ground. "Corpses buried in mud that's black, from death I command you to come back!"

The ground began to shake and the tombstones rattled. Fiona took a step back, closer to where Marshall was standing. The graves rose slightly as the corpses and bones stirred. Bony hands burst from the earth. They clawed at the ground as the skeletons pulled themselves up to the surface. Marshall laughed maniacally as the undead army rose at his command. Many of the corpses carried swords and daggers. They moaned and groaned as they staggered closer to their master.

"You ready to lead an evil undead army?" he said with a dark smile.

Fiona was trembling. "N-no…I shouldn't!"

"Come on, girl. You can't back out on your word, now can you?"

She clenched her fists, frustrated. But finally she sighed. "Okay…I'll do it."

He chuckled. "That's a good little girl."

Marshall led them out of the cemetery and down the hill toward a familiar looking house. It was a tall white manor with what looked like bricks scattered throughout the building. Spires stuck out of the walls, going in every which way, and a wall surrounded the grounds. Lights from the windows glowed like beacons in the dark. Fiona was hesitant as she marched with the undead army toward the house. The corpses and skeletons moaned as they headed for the manor.

"Excited to hear the screams of an entire house?" Marshall asked, casting her a mischievous look.

She laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah. Sounds totally rad. But uh, I'm just gonna run up ahead and scope everything out okay?"

He shook his head and snickered as she darted off toward the house. He knew what she was up to, but it wouldn't do her any good. Marshall picked up the pace. He and his army descended on the Duke of Nuts' home. Fiona stood in the doorway, pleading with one of the nut people inside. She was screaming at the people to run for their lives. Slowly the skeletons filed into the manor. Marshall floated in, over the heads of his undead army. His axe-bass was strapped across his chest. He strummed it as he flew inside.

"Yo! What's up, guys? I wrote this song about a fisherman." He swirled around the room, above all the guests. They had entered the Duke of Nuts' manor during his son's birthday party. He strummed his bass and sang as he flew above them. "You looked so cool, sitting in your boat. I wanna suck out your eyeballs and rip out your throat." His voice was dark and melodious as he sang. "Suck out your eye~ba-a-alls and rip out your throat!"

"Marshall Lee, wait!" Fiona pleaded. "Don't do it!"

"Don't do what?" He arched an eyebrow.

The Duke of Nuts rushed toward him. "You're late, Marshall Lee! My son has been _dying_ to hear you play!"

"Oh, I forgot!" the nut butler said in a lofty voice. "Marshall Lee is playing tonight!"

Everyone cheered and began to dance as Marshall played another song on his bass.

Fiona frowned, her brows drawing together in confusion. "Wait…so he's just making things sound bad…or his personality seems bad but he's really not…or something?"

"Hey!" the butler said. "Why're you thinking so hard? Just party hard!"

She grinned. "Yeah…. Yeah I guess you're right."

She joined the others in dancing to Marshall's music. Marshall flew above them, playing away to his heart's content. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. They danced and shouted the night away. He floated toward Fiona.

"Hey, castle crasher," he said.

"Hey, Marshall Lee. What's up?"

"It's almost morning and this place is starting to get kinda dull." He smirked. "Let's ditch 'em."

"Uh…okay."

He grabbed her hands and took off, leaving the Nut manor behind them. Slowly the sounds of music and laughter faded behind them. He flew her toward and abandoned field where wild berries grew. He set her down in the midst of the bushes before landing beside her. The sun was just starting to peek over the top of the hill when they arrived. Pulling out an old, gothic umbrella, he opened it and held it above him. It was black and decorated in old bones. The shade hid him from the sunrise's morning rays.

"Hey, can't the sun like kill you and junk?" Fiona asked.

Marshall shrugged. "Yeah, it hurts. But I kinda like it. Makes me feel a little more alive, know what I'm sayin'?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey, Fiona." He leaned closer grinning maliciously. His eyes gleamed red in the shade of his umbrella. "I need you to strangle some pixies."

Fiona shrugged. "Yeah, sure. That sounds cool."

He arched an eyebrow. "Woah! Being all casual about it, huh? Killing pixies is some hardcore evil. Sure a good little girl like you can handle it?"

"I'm not falling for your jokes anymore, dude. You just like sayin' weird junk that messes with my mind!"

Marshall burst out laughing. He held his side as he tried to get control of it. "Man, Fiona, I didn't think you'd _ever_ catch on."

She laughed. "I knew it! But I've been wondering…what about your old henchman? Who was he?"

He shrugged. "Oh, just an old diving buddy of mine. So, you ready to go strangle some pixies or what?"

"Yeah! I'm totally ready!"

Suddenly Cake leaped out of the bushes. "Die, unholy monster!" She threw cloves of garlic at him. Marshall recoiled in surprise, dropping his umbrella by accident. His skin began to sizzle and blister as the sunlight touched him. He hissed, shielding his face with his arms.

"Marshall!" Fiona cried.

"I'm gonna stake that vampire and set you free, girl!" Cake cried.

"Cake, wait! He's not so bad!"

Marshall pulled himself toward the umbrella. He slunk underneath it, taking refuge from the sun.

"He's controlling your mind, Fiona! Now stand back as I vanquish him from existence!" She launched at the umbrella, stake in hand. As the wooden stake plunged into the umbrella, there was a shrieking wail. Cake tossed the umbrella aside, but there was nothing underneath it. "Where'd he go?!"

Fiona shook her head. She glanced at the umbrella and grinned. "Cake, I'm free! You saved me! You actually faced your fear and saved me!"

"Oh, it's good to have you back, honey!" Cake hugged her tightly. "Come on, let's get back to the tree house!"

"Be there in a sec," Fiona said, picking up the umbrella. Once Cake was gone, she glanced up into the shadowed fabric. A small bat clung to the metal rod near the top.

"She gone? Is it cool?" he asked.

"Yep, she's gone."

"Thanks, Fiona. I was really worried for a second there." He lifted the umbrella from her hand. "Quick thinking there. I owe you one."

She giggled. "Thanks. That's what henchmen are for, right?"

"Oh yeah," Marshall said, as if he just remembered something. "You're fired from being my henchman. It's no fun when I can't mess with you." He chuckled.

"That's cool. But we're still on for pixie strangling tomorrow, right?" She winked.

"Totally." Lifting the umbrella, he flew off toward his house. That had been more fun than he thought it would be. She was definitely an interesting one all right. And he couldn't wait to mess with her again.

**_Chapter 3 coming soon!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Time for a little Gumball action! After all, it wouldn't quite be Adventure Time without Prince Gumball! My chapters aren't exactly in the episodes' chronological order, just in case anyone was wondering. Please review when you finish reading, I'd really like to hear what you think of it thus far :)**_

**Chapter 3**

Fiona whistled as she carried a purple tray, an exact replica of the Candy Kingdom made out of lint on it. Cake held onto the other end of the tray, humming to herself. They walked along the forest path to the Candy Kingdom. Prince Gumball had invited them to help set up for a science conference he was hosting. The pink trees looked like cotton candy, held aloft by white tree trunks. Fiona always liked how they looked. It sort of reminded her of Gumball's hair. Cake tilted the tray slightly as she reached to scratch an itch.

"Hey, careful!" Fiona shouted. "You'll wreck my present for Prince Gumball!"

"Sorry, baby." She glanced over her shoulder. "What is it anyway?"

"It's a scale model of the Candy Kingdom. I made it out of lint I found around the house."

"Soooo you wanna give him your lint?"

"Yeah." Fiona paused. "Wait, no! I mean, well…." She blushed.

Cake giggled. "It's okay, honey. I totally understand! I know what it's like wanting to get the attention of your man." She winked.

Her face turned a deeper shade of red. "He's not my man! Uhg! I just wanted to give him something to help him, uh…celebrate his science…thing." She laughed nervously.

"You mean his Super Science Barbeque?"

She could see the stage just up ahead. The barbeque was being held just outside the Candy Kingdom's walls. The huge white screen set up on the stage read _Science is the Best!_ And just behind the stage, Bubblegum Mountain could be see, pink and white like the surrounding forest. Prince Gumball and some of his subjects were busy setting up chairs and picnic tables. Gumball opened the grill and was piling in charcoal.

"You think this is sciency enough for him?" Fiona asked quietly.

"Relax! He'll love it!" she said confidently. "And then he'll love you," she whispered.

"What?"

"Hey! There he is!" Cake hurried toward the stage, Fiona stumbling behind. As they got closer, Cake stopped her. "Hide it behind your back, girl."

Fiona hid the tray behind her. Prince Gumball was holding a small flame creature in his gloved hand. He fed it a piece of charcoal before setting it down in the grill. Instantly the creature's flame intensified.

"Prince Gumball!" Cake called.

He looked up from his work and smiled. He waved. "Oh, hey guys. I was just getting the grill going for tonight's B-B-Q," he said as he climbed off stage. He was wearing a plain pair of jeans and t-shirt. It looked much different than his normal royal pink-and-purple attire.

"Oh, that's cool," Fiona said. She tried to hide the tray behind her back better.

"What do you have behind your back, Fiona?" Gumball asked.

"Oh, I—I made you something."

"Really? Can I see it?"

"Sure! Close your eyes."

Gumball obediently closed them. "Alright."

"Get ready to open your eyes," she said teasingly.

Fiona pulled the tray out from behind her back and lifted it up in front of him. Suddenly Prince Gumball sneezed. The lint scattered instantly. The replica she had worked so hard to build had been destroyed in an instant.

"Can I open my eyes?" He asked anxiously, a smile on his face.

Fiona gasped. "No! Wait!" Panic welled up in her chest. Her mind was starting to go fuzzy. She stared at the empty tray in horror. What should she do?! "Wait! Just keep them closed for like three more hours!"

"I'm going to open my eyes now." Gumball opened his eyes and he gasped, eyes wide. "Oh, Fiona!" He gently took the tray from her hands. "It's purple! I love purple! Oh, thank you, Fiona."

Her face lit up, cheeks flushed with joy and embarrassment. Suddenly a little chocolate truffle girl came running up to the prince.

"Prince, Prince!" she cried.

Peppermint Maid came storming up behind her. "You better not say nothing, you."

Gumball sighed. "Yes, Chelsea?"

"Um, like I called dibs on being Grill Meister for the B-B-Q, but Pepper won't hand over the spatula!" She whined, reaching for the spatula in Peppermint Maid's hand.

Peppermint Maid jerked it out of reach with a frown. "Fine fine," she muttered. "You can have it!" Then she took off running. "When you pry it from my cold, dead hands!"

"Noooooo!" Chelsea shrieked, chasing after her.

"Hey," Gumball said, the thought just dawning on him. "If you two aren't watching the grill, then who's watching…?" he glanced up as he spoke. He gasped. Flames had completely engulfed the grill, the fire running rampant. "The grill!"

Fiona pulled out her sword and leaped onto the stage. She kicked over the grill, flaming bits of charcoal pouring onto the stage. She glanced over at the table beside it, stacks of steaks and burgers piled high. Fiona stabbed her sword into the pile of meat and slammed them onto the flames. A hiss and sizzle followed as she smothered the fire with raw meats.

"Fiona, that was amazing!" Gumball cried as he approached the charred stage and extinguished grill.

"Oh." She blushed. "Thanks, Gumball. I'm always happy to help."

"I see." Prince Gumball leaned closer. He gently touched her cheek before pulling out a Mayfield head clamp. He measured the size of her cranium. "Your heroic brain is fascinating in a scientific way. Many scientific minds are going to be speaking at my barbeque. You should talk about something too!" It seemed to Fiona that his eyes sparkled brightly as he spoke. "You'll do that for me, right?"

"Anything you want," she said breathlessly.

"Thanks, Fiona." The grunts and shouts of Chelsea and Peppermint Maid fighting over the spatula interrupted him. He sighed. "Listen, I have to deal with this. See you tonight?"

"Uh, yeah."

As Prince Gumball started to walk away, the panic set in. Fiona began to hyperventilate, her breathing coming in short gasps.

"Girl," Cake said slowly, resting her paw on Fiona's shoulder. "Relax. You just gotta give a stupid speech to a bunch of brainiacs. No big deal."

"I-I don't know…. I can't hang with those guys." Fiona played with her hair nervously. She averted her eyes. "I'm full of stupid. I'd just make Gumball look silly for asking me to talk about science and junk."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. We'll just go to the place where knowledge lives." She winked.

"Oh yeah. Brain Town."

Cake frowned. "No! The library."

"The library of the undead," Fiona whispered in a spooky tone.

"No. Just the regular library."

"Rats…."

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

The library felt dark and oppressive. Fiona never liked the library because she could never sit still long enough to finish a book. It was so quiet. Every little noise seemed amplified ten times the actual volume. A maze of bookshelves stretched deep into the library, spanning multiple floors. Turtle Prince had been nice enough to bring them to the Science section. He'd also picked out a few books for them to read. But nothing seemed to make sense. Eventually she gave up and trudged out of the library without learning anything that could help her. They headed back toward the Candy Kingdom. Fiona was feeling nervous about speaking in front of the science people, especially since she didn't have anything smart to say.

"Hey, girl," Cake said. "I've got an idea! Why don't we just solve this problem with magic?"

"I guess you've got a point." She grinned, feeling slightly more optimistic. "Let's go see Choose Goose in his magical shack!"

They raced through the forest to find Choose Goose. He was more or less a wandering salesman, so he was never in the same place twice. He sold magical items of all shapes and sizes. So if they were lucky, he'd have something just for their problem. Faintly Fiona heard the sound of his lute. She changed her course and headed straight for the sound. Soon enough, she spotted his little shack, Choose Goose lying across the counter top of his sales cart.

"Hey, Choose Goose!" she called. "You got any cool magic we could use?"

He looked up at the sound of their voices. "Magic, you say?" he said in his lofty voice.

Fiona nodded. "Yeah. I need some kind of mind enhancing magic."

"Ah, yes. The quest that you are on requires the Glasses of Nerdicon!" He pulled a box out from under the counter. He opened it to reveal a pair of square-framed glasses, the nose piece held together with a piece of tape.

"So…if I put those on, I'll be able to give that lecture and Prince Gumball will totally dig it." Fiona's eyes lit up. "What do you want for it, CG?"

Choose Goose draped his hand over his face dramatically and sighed. "Lately, I've been feeling drained," he said sadly. I only wish to be entertained."

Fiona thought a moment before an idea occurred to her. She pulled a marker out of her bag and drew a smiley face on her finger. She beat-boxed a little tune and moved her finger to the music. Choose Goose was an easily entertained guy. Soon he was laughing uncontrollably.

"Well done!" he cried. He picked up the glasses and handed them to her. "The glasses you have won."

Fiona put them on. Instantly, a spark surged through her brain. She gasped as a flood of knowledge flowed through her mind. Everything from everyday commonsense knowledge to metaphysics filled her mind. It was a lifetime of epiphanies all in a single moment. She grabbed Cake tightly, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Everything that's small is just a small version of something big! I understand everything!"

Cake patted her on the arm. "Whoa there. Calm down. Are you okay?"

"Oh, Cake, I'm _better_ than okay. I know exactly how to impress the Prince!"

"More lint models?"

Fiona shook her head. "No, no. That lint was as fragile as my former perception of reality. But wait, maybe you're on to something! Something so simple…yes, of course! The simplicity! This could work!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

By the time of the barbeque, Fiona was calmer than she had ever been in her life. Dozens of renowned scientists sat at the picnic tables, listening as a Marshmallow man with curly sideburns spoke on stage. When he finished his lecture, everyone clapped politely as Prince Gumball climbed onstage.

"Thanks again to Doctor Dextros for sharing that fascinating research on the culture of cuteness," Gumball said, shaking the Marshmallow man's hand.

Fiona clapped loudly. "Yes, yes. How charming!" She folded her hands in her lap and glanced at Cake. "What quaint nations."

Doctor Dextros glared at her and mumbled something angrily as he climbed offstage. Prince Gumball cleared his throat. "And now for a special guest lecture from one of Oo's greatest heroes." He nodded to Fiona. "Fiona the human!"

Fiona stood and approached the stage, wheeling a small table with her. Claps accompanied her as she climbed onstage with her display. She pulled off the cloth to reveal a bottle of bubble solution and a large metal funnel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and Prince." She winked at Gumball. Fiona adjusted her glasses. "I'm here to talk about multi-dimensional bubbles! But I'm not _just_ going to talk about blowing bubbles. I'm going to blow. Your. Minds." She picked up the metal funnel device. "This is a bubble blower of my own design. With this, I can blow bubbles in different dimensions."

She flipped the switch to the number 2 and dipped it into the solution. Fiona blew into the apparatus. A bubble slowly formed from the smaller end, but the bubble was completely flat. "This two-dimensional bubble casts a one-dimensional shadow." Oos and Aahs came from the crowd. She switched the number 3 on her device and blew another bubble. This one was a normal, round one. "A three-dimensional bubble casts a two-dimensional shadow." Finally she flipped the switch to the final number—4. The bubble that emerged from the end was shaped like a box, but it cast odd shadows in all directions. "A fourth-dimensional bubble casts a three-dimensional shadow! It's beyond compression! It's beyond time and space!"

The others clapped, but a look of shock crossed Prince Gumball's face. He stood up quickly. "Oh my! Fiona, that would mean you've created—"

"Yes!" she cried. "A black hole!"

The 4-D bubble began to implode upon itself. A high level of gravity swirled around it, so strong it started sucking everything toward it. Fiona laughed, lost in the craziness of her genius. Cake stretched one arm around the flagpole on the right side of the stage, and the other arm around the left side's flag pole. She expanded her body to shield everyone from the strength of the black hole's gravity. With her hind foot, Cake snatched Fiona off the stage and pulled her to safety.

"Fiona! Do something!" Gumball shouted urgently.

"Not to worry. I wrote the solution on this piece of paper." Fiona pulled a sheet of paper out of her pocket. But as soon as it was free from her pocket, it was yanked from her hand, sucked toward the black hole. "Don't worry, I have everything under control."

"Under control?! My guests are terrified!"

Fiona grinned. "Yes! And their brains are releasing adrenaline, dopamine, even dimethyltryptamine from the Pineal Glands! This has serious educational value. It's causing a chemical reaction, giving us a euphoric ultimate awareness. Don't you see, Prince? WE WERE ALL BORN TO DIE!"

"You're trying to kill us all?!" he cried.

"No, of course not! I'm trying to give you the greatest conference EVER!"

"Fiona." He stared at her in horror, his voice wavering as if he would cry. "You've gone insane!"

"What? No way." She waved off his words. "I'm like the smartest person in Oo thanks to these glasses."

"Glasses?" The realization dawned on him. "Fiona, take them off. You're not yourself!"

"But…."

"_Please_," he begged. "I need the _real_ you!"

He snatched the glasses and pulled them off her face. As soon as Prince Gumball had removed them, all of the knowledge was instantaneously sucked away. Every epiphany she'd had vanished without a trace. She shook her head, confused.

Fiona glanced around, shocked by all the fearful faces around her. "What's going on?!" She turned around. Her eyes widened at the sight of the four-dimensional bubble sucking in everything within reach.

"You blew it, Fiona! With this!" Gumball pulled out the multi-dimensional bubble blower she had invented in her fit of genius insanity.

"Then I'll kill it with this!" She pulled out her sword and leaped toward the black hole, Cake's leg still wrapped around her waist. She charged toward it. Something flying toward the wormhole hit the bubble blower out of Gumball's hand.

"Fiona, look out!" he shouted.

She turned just in time. Out of reflex, she stabbed the sword into the bubble blower's center, slicing it in half. But as her sword emerged, it cast odd shadows in every direction. She wasn't sure what it meant, but as long as she still had her sword, she could destroy the black hole. She looked at the odd bubble, then at her transformed sword.

"Fourth dimensional," she muttered. Fiona glanced back at Cake. "Cake, let me go!"

"Girl, are you crazy?!" she hissed. "Don't do anything stupid!"

"I can't help it!" Fiona unraveled Cake's leg from her body. "I'm all about stupid!" She let go and she was instantly sucked toward the black hole. Sword raised, she plunged it into the fourth-dimensional bubble and she disappeared.

"Fiona!" Cake and Gumball cried.

Suddenly the bubble exploded, expelling Fiona along with it. Cake caught her in midair and covered all the guests with her magic body. When the rain of debris ceased, she unstretched herself and shrunk down to her normal size. Prince Gumball fell to his knees and clutched Fiona's shirt. His hands were shaking, tears leaking from his eyes. He rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"Fiona…." He sniffled. "My science barbeque…was a fiasco." He started to sob.

Cheers erupted from the attendees. He looked up, surprised. Many of the scientists who had attended were clapping and cheering wildly. They shouted things like "Incredible!" and "That was the greatest conference _ever_!" A small piece of paper floated down with other bits of smaller debris. Gumball caught it and glanced at its contents.

"What's this?" It was a bulleted list. He read it aloud. "Make hyper bubble, create black hole, become insane, PG takes off glasses, save the day, win the heart of the prince?" He looked up at her. "Fiona, you _knew_ all this would happen?"

"Huh? Knew what?" She shrugged. "I wrote that list when I was insane with smartness."

Gumball leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her cheek. Fiona's face flushed a deep red. She didn't think it would actually happen. But it did! He had _kissed_ her! And she kind of liked it.

**_Chapter 4 will be up on Friday!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I've been a little nervous about this fanfic, 'cause I'm writing off of episodes instead of how I normally write. But fanfiction is my stress reliever, so I hope you guys enjoy it regardless. Please review when you finish reading, I'd really like to hear what you think of it thus far :)**_

**Chapter 3**

"What do you think Prince Gumball wanted?" Fiona wondered aloud.

She rode on her cat's back as they headed toward the Candy Kingdom. Cake had stretched to a larger size and was striding over the trees with ease.

"I dunno. Whatever it is, it must be important," Cake said.

"Yeah, but I wish he would've told us what it was."

"Look! I can see the palace."

Beyond the tree line, Fiona glimpsed the bright pinks and whites of the Candy Kingdom. The buildings resembled gingerbread houses and large cupcakes. The Candy Kingdom had always been one of her favorite places to kill time. As Cake stretched over the high walls surrounding the city, many of the candy people hollered and waved. Fiona politely waved back, but it didn't deter them. They made their way to the tall palace in the center of the city. Fiona slid off Cake's back as the cat shrunk down to normal size. She knocked on the door.

The large doors opened with a creak, a short peppermint woman standing in the opening. "Welcome, Fiona," Peppermint Maid said.

Fiona smiled. "Hey! Where's Prince Gumball?"

"Come right in. He's waiting for you."

Cake and Fiona stepped inside and Peppermint Maid closed the doors behind them. She led them down the long corridors to the reception hall.

"Did Gumball tell you why he wanted to see us?" Fiona asked.

"No. He wouldn't say." Peppermint Maid stopped before a pair of large doors and knocked. "Sire, Fiona and Cake have arrived."

"Splendid!" Prince Gumball's muffled voice came the other side of the door. "Send them in."

Peppermint Maid opened the door for them. As Cake and Fiona entered, she closed the door behind them. Inside the room was fairly empty. An old chest that stood against the far wall had been opened and a number of odd objects lay spread across the table beside it. Prince Gumball, dressed in his usual pink and purple clothes, paced back and forth relentlessly.

"Fiona, Cake! Thank you for coming," he said with a smile.

Fiona adjusted the weight of her backpack. "Sure. No problem. What didja want to see us for?"

"The other day, when you rescued me from that horrible snow monster," he said, approaching her. "It hit me like a snowball made of ice!"

She blinked. "Yeah mean an iceball?"

Cake snickered.

"Yes! It hit me like an iceball! Fiona, I've never known someone as brave as you. And then the thought occurred to me." He strode to the table and picked up a small glass sphere. He brought it over to her and lifted the object up so she could see. An old leather-bound book floated beneath the glass surface. "See this book? It's called the Enchirideon. It's meant only for heroes who's hearts are righteous! And I thought, who's heart could be more righteous than Fiona's?"

Fiona's eyes lit up. "Woah!"

"The book lies at the top of Mount Cragdor guarded by a manly minotaur. It's waiting for a truly righteous hero to claim it."

"That sounds awesome!" Fiona shouted excitedly.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', baby?" Cake said.

"Heck yeah, I am! Come on, Cake, let's go!"

"You don't need to tell _me_ twice!"

Cake stretched out the window, Fiona leaping onto her back. Prince Gumball leaned out the open window as they started off toward Mount Cragdor. "Farewell! Good luck, Fiona the human!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

As they drew closer to the mountain, the sun was just beginning to set. Mount Cragdor was covered in a thick forest, and surrounded by a high wall with a single gate. Just the sight of the mighty mountain sent chills of anticipation coursing through Fiona's body. She was itching with excitement! Down below she glimpsed a short man standing beside the gate. Cake stretched down to the bridge leading to the doors. Apart from the enormous keyhole, the gate was very plain. The man wore simple robes and a large key-shaped hat. A smaller key dangled from a chain that hung around his neck.

"Greetings young heroes to be," the man said as they approached. "This mountain is called Cragdor. Its purpose is twofold—to protect the Enchirideon and to test the hearts of those who seek to possess it."

"All right!" Fiona was pumped and ready to go.

The old man kept rambling on. "Many noble challengers have entered in attempts to pass the grueling trials that lie behind these walls, but no one has ever left here alive _or_ dead! Only the truest most worthy hero can receive the hero's Enchirideon and walk out these doors again." Fiona and Cake glanced at each other. The little guy sure loved to talk. "If it is you, friend, oh-oh! And I cannot say that I am certain, but you are verily thee welcome to try! However! First you must pass my riddle: My name is Keeper. And dually so, for I carry the key to this door, but all is not how it appears, you see. Or perhaps you don't see at all. Oh-ho-ho-ho! _Perhaps_! The key is in _you_, child, but you cannot use your brawn here." Fiona picked up the short man, but he just kept rambling. "The door is magically sealed!" She shoved his head into the keyhole and turned him. There was a loud click. "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!" She set him back down again and the gates swung open. "You've unlocked the riddle of the door! Ha ha! Brilliantly done, child!"

Fiona and Cake high-fived each other.

"Not bad, girl," Cake said.

"Please," the Keeper said. "Reveal to me how you unraveled my clue."

Fiona shrugged. "I just thought you might shut up if I shoved your head in the lock."

The man's shoulders slumped slightly. "Oh yes. That's how most people get in."

The two started in, headed down the path leading deep into the forest. Fiona waved back at him. "See you later!"

"You've passed the first trial, young heroes, but prepare yourselves!" he shouted after them as the gates began to close. "For there are many trials ahead of you! And each trial is more treacherous than the last!"

The sun slowly set as they made their way deeper into the forest. The trees grew close together, casting crooked shadows across the path. It felt dark and oppressive. Fiona kept glancing around, prepared for any kind of monsters that might be lurking, waiting to attack.

"So where do you think the book is?" she asked.

"I bet it's up there in that old castle." Cake pointed to an ancient castle high on the mountainside. Many of its spires and towers were crumbling. "Stuff like that always ends up in the creepy old castles."

A dark laugh emanated from the forest, accompanied by screams of terror. Shrill voices cried for help. Fiona froze. Someone was in danger! She glanced around, trying to locate the source of the voices. She darted off in the direction of the noise, Cake not far behind.

"Fiona! Where are you going?!"

"Someone's in danger!" she shouted over her shoulder.

"What about the book?"

"It can wait! First we gotta save whoever it is that's in trouble!"

She leaped over bushes and ploughed through thick foliage. Fiona made her way deep into the forest, all the while the voices growing louder and louder. She pushed aside a low hanging branch. In the clearing was a familiar figure. A teenager in jeans and red and black checkered shirt floated in front of her. A group of pixies flitted about, screaming for help. He snapped his fingers and a group of them froze in place. He caught another by its wings.

"Marshall Lee?" Fiona stepped out of the bushes.

He turned around. "Oh, hey Fiona." He grinned.

Cake stared at him, astonished. "Marshall?! I thought I staked you! Shouldn't you be dead?"

"What, _me_?" He laughed. "Like you could actually kill me—the Vampire King!"

"What are you doing?!" Fiona asked, annoyed. "Stop picking on those pixies! I thought you were just saying that stuff to mess with my head?"

"What? You mean the other night?" He turned his attention again to the pixies. "I like to come here and mess around. This forest is full of evil stuff, like pixies."

"Pixies _aren't_ evil!" she persisted.

"Oh yeah?" Marshall floated over beside her. "You think so? Watch." He snapped his fingers and the pixies instantly began flitting about.

"We're free! We're free!" they cried.

Fiona put her hands on her hips. "See?"

"Wait for it." He folded his arms.

The pixies darted about, innocently at first. But then they started using magic to uproot plants and burn trees. One of the pixies darted toward Fiona and tugged on her hair.

"Ow! Cut it out!"

Cake hissed, swiping it at the annoying little sprites.

Marshall laughed. "See? I told you." He snapped his fingers and the pixies instantly froze. Fiona slapped the pixie away from her. Cake caught it and batted it between her paws. "So, what's a Goody-two-shoes like you doing here?"

"We're on a mission from Prince Gumball," Cake said.

"What? You're running errands for Gumbutt?"

Fiona blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Well, I wouldn't say errands. We're here to find the hero's handbook—the Enchirideon! And it's somewhere on the top of Mount Cragdor."

"The Enchirideon, huh?" he arched an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting."

Marshall grabbed Fiona's arms and took off into the sky. Cake shouted her name, stretching after her. Fiona squirmed in his grasp, but he held her fast. They flew over the forest, headed straight for the mountaintop.

"Marshall, what gives?!" she cried.

He laughed. "Calm down, doll face! I thought it sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give ya a hand. Problem with that?"

"Oh. Uh, I guess not."

He flew her up to one of the upper balconies. Marshall set her down gently and landed beside her. Cake stretched up to the balcony and shrunk down to her normal size. The balcony door stood open, leading deep into the castle. Up close it looked more rundown than Fiona originally thought.

"Since you come here a lot, do you have any idea where the book is?" Fiona asked, glancing at Marshall.

"Yeah. It's inside, guarded by the Dead King." He point down the dark hall.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Fiona raced inside. The castle smelled rank of mold and decay. The deeper they delved into the castle, the darker it became. There was no light at all. She stumbled as they walked down the dark hallway.

She groaned. "It's so dark! I can't see anything!"

"What're you talking about?" Marshall scoffed.

"I can see just fine," Cake said.

"Yeah, well, I don't have night vision eyes like you guys," she grumbled.

Marshall chuckled. "Calm down, girl. Just follow me." He grabbed her hand and led her though the winding halls. Fiona only stumbled a few more times, but had a considerably easier time thanks to his help. He finally stopped before a pair of large, rotting wooden doors. "The Dead King's in there."

Fiona pulled her chipped, yellow sword from her green backpack. "I'm so ready for this!" She kicked in the door. Her eyes widened. The reception hall was long and dimly lit with flickering torches. A long and tattered, moth-eaten carpet stretched from the door all the way to the crumbling throne at the end of the room. Bones and rocks littered the floor. Parts of the ceiling had caved in and there were holes in the walls. "Woah!" An eerie mist emanated from the end of the room. An evil laugh echoed in the empty room.

"Congratulations, hero," a dark, crackling voice said. A shadowy figure emerged from the mist. A thin person wearing tattered, gray robes appeared. Red eyes glowed beneath his hood. He pointed at her with a bony, crooked hand. "You must be truly righteous to have made it this far."

"Who're you?!" Fiona shouted.

"He's the Dead King, duh," Marshall said.

"Now, enter my domain!" The Dead King's voice echoed. "And receive your final trial!"

Her head started to feel fuzzy. Fiona's vision swam in and out of focus and her mind went numb. Darkness swirled in around her and soon everything disappeared from sight. She found herself in a dark, empty room. A thin blanket of mist hid the ground from view. She glanced around, but there was nothing there. Cake and Marshall had vanished.

"Hello?" She called. "Hellooooooo! Where am I?"

"Welcome to my domain, human girl." The evil voice echoed in the darkness. "Now, hero. For your last trial, SLAY THIS BEAST!"

The ground shook as an enormous monster landed behind her. Its body was coils of interweaving fleshy strings, as if they were intestines. It coiled around to form one large monster, thin legs protruding from its base. One arm was all bone, wrapped in a thick shroud of magic. The other was bulging and muscular. It kind of reminded her of the spaghetti monster Cake had told her about. Sword in hand, Fiona rushed into action. The beast swung its muscled arm, but she ducked beneath it. The creature lashed out at her repeatedly. She managed to avoid its attacks and sneak behind it. Fiona drove her sword into its back. The beast let out an unearthly wail and it seemed to collapse in on itself. Fiona pulled her sword from the goopy mess left behind.

"Very good, child. You have done well," the voice said.

"Thanks."

"And now, as a reward for your great achievement, you shall be trapped here—forever!"

"What?!" she cried. "That's not what you promised! You're supposed to give me the Enchirideon!"

"Oh no, hero. I promised no such thing." He laughed cruelly.

Screaming in frustration, Fiona threw her sword in the direction of the voice. Suddenly there was an odd shriek. The darkness around her began to recede. Familiar scenery swirled around her and it felt as if she was being pulled forward. The reception room all came rushing back. The darkness had melted away, Cake and Marshall standing beside her. Before her was a pile of tattered, old robes, her sword sticking out of the heap.

"Fiona, thank goodness!" Cake sighed in relief. "That was amazing!"

"What?" She blinked, surprised. "What'd I do?"

"You killed the Dead King!" Cake cried, a big grin on her face.

Marshall floated toward her. "That was pretty math, Fiona."

"Really?" Fiona pulled the sword from the heap of rags. "I don't know how I did it, but that was cool!"

There was a deep rumbling laugh from the hallway behind him. "Congratulations, hero!" a deep voice bellowed. Fiona spun around, sword in hand. The clop of hooves echoed in the hall. A large, muscled minotaur appeared in the doorway, flexing his muscles as he walked. "Fiona, Cake! Glad you guys made it!"

"Are you another trial?" Fiona asked.

"What?" The minotaur shook his head. "No! No! I'm Manish Man, the minotaur!" He flexed his large, bulging muscles as he spoke.

Fiona gasped, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "The manly minotaur Prince Gumball told us about!"

"I believe you came here for this." Manish Man strode toward them, pulling a thick leather-bound book from his bag. He handed it to her. Fiona took it carefully, her eyes wide as she stared at the letters reading _Enchirideon_.

"Oh my glob! Look, Cake!" She held the book out for the cat to see. "The Enchirideon!"

"Woo, baby! I can't wait to read it!"

Marshall leaned over her shoulder. "So that's the Enchirideon, huh?"

"Yeah! Didja wanna read it with us?" Fiona asked.

He shrugged. "Nah. I just thought it'd be interesting to help you. I'm not interested in the book. Besides, it's the _hero's_ handbook, right? I'm _evil_, remember?"

Fiona laughed. "Whatever, Marshall. You're not evil, I know it! But thanks for helping."

Marshall chuckled. "Whatever you say, doll face." He floated closer to her and smirked. "I'll see ya later."

Fiona watched him float out of the room. Despite what he said about being evil, she didn't buy it. He was a fun guy to hang around with, and she hoped she'd see him around more.

_**Chapter 4 will be up on Monday!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I just realized I haven't had a villain appear in this yet. So how about a little Ice Queen interlude? :) Don't forget to review!**_

**Chapter 5**

Fiona laughed wildly as she and Cake slid down the snowy hillside on a plank of plywood. To beat the summer heat, they had entered the Ice Kingdom. They didn't enter the winter wonderland often, since it was the Ice Queen's domain. But today was an exception. She hollered loudly, her cheeks flushed with cold. The cool wind slapped her face as they picked up speed. The two of them sledded down the mountainsides, trees rushing past. Fiona even glimpsed a Snow Golem and a herd of penguins as they passed. They flew off the side of a snowy cliff but landed in an ice tunnel. Their voices echoed as they slid and spiraled down to the end.

They shot out of the tunnel like a rocket and landed in a deep snow drift. The plywood sled snapped in half. Fiona lay there in the snow, laughing. They had landed in a small ditch.

"Mathematical!" Fiona shouted. Then she saw the broken wood. "Aw, our sled's broken."

"Don't worry, baby!" Cake sat up. "We'll just make another one."

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?!" A shrill voice shouted. "Who dares to enter the Ice Kingdom?!"

Fiona and Cake glanced up at the top of the ditch. A woman in a blue dress, long white hair, and wearing a golden tiara stood at the edge. She glared down at them. It was because of the old lady that the two of them didn't go into the Ice Kingdom much.

Fiona groaned. "Aw man! Ice Queen's here…."

"And do you know _why_ I'm here?!" She shouted down at them. "Do you know what _Ice Queen _means?"

"Yeah, I know what Ice Queen means," Cake said. "I big JERK!"

Cake nudged Fiona in the side and winked. Fiona laughed.

Ice Queen put her hands on her hips. "It means I'm Queen of Ice! This is my domain!" She swept her hands in front of her, indicating to the entire wintery landscape. She pointed at them. "And you're violating Ice World law—trespassing!"

"Oh come on, lady," Cake waved off her words. "We're just tryin' to beat the heat."

Fiona nodded. "Yeah! There's a big sleepy lava man in our front yard, and he is _so_ hot."

Cake nudged her playfully in the arm and winked. "M-m-hm."

"Wait wait," Fiona stuttered. "I take that back! I-I mean not like sexy hot—"

"No, no. You _totally_ mean 'sexy' hot!" she said teasingly.

"No! I mean—"

"I don't care!" Ice Queen shouted. "This is _my_ kingdom. You guys can't just scoot about on _my_ land all willy-nilly! I've got rules here."

Fiona sighed, scooping up a handful of snow. She patted it into a mini-snowman. "Man, why can't you just try being cool for once?"

"What?!" she screeched. "I am the Queen! I am the Queen of cool!" She screamed and grumbled angrily, kicking snow about. "THAT'S IT!" Suddenly the air temperature dropped even lower. Ice Queen's hands glowed in a shroud of blue magic. She cast a spell on the snow at her feet. "Rise, monsters of snow! And go, beat up Fiona and Cake!"

The snow moved about violently. It clumped together and grew taller and taller. Soon four snow-beasts had formed thanks to Ice Queen's magic. The creatures lumbered down the side of the ditch. They were bent on beating the two girls senseless. It was their only purpose.

"Uh-oh," Cake muttered.

Fiona sprang to her feet. She laughed as she leaped into action. She punched and kicked the snow monsters relentlessly. Despite their size, they were slow and clumsy. They swung at her, but they couldn't even keep up with her. Cake scooped up a handful of snow and tossed a snowball at the closest monster. The beast shrieked and swayed. It toppled over into the snow beast beside it. And one after the other, the snow beasts crashed into each other like dominoes.

Fists clenched in anger, Ice Queen glared down at them "Oooooh…you guys are gonna get it!"

Cake and Fiona laughed. "Yeah right. Whatever you say."

Ice Queen zapped them with her magic, instantly freezing them in a block of solid ice. She hoisted the frozen Fiona and Cake into a wheelbarrow and carted them off to the tallest ice mountain in the kingdom. A narrow, very fragile bridge stretched across the snowy mountains to a small entrance at the top of the tallest peak. Ice Queen groaned as she pushed the wheelbarrow up the steep passage to her lair. The sun was just starting to set as she reached the opening to her ice cave. The last rays gleamed and sparkled off the frozen mountainsides. She sighed.

"Uhg…even with all this magic I still have to do so much darn work! I'm going to need to get myself a magic back, at this rate." She carted the frozen heroes inside. "I'm hooooooome," she called in a lofty voice.

Her entire lair was made of ice—all the chairs, table, even her bed frame. In the back corner of her home was a large prison made of ice. Inside were six young princes, all from separate kingdoms. Ice Queen was notorious for kidnapping princes, all in hopes of marrying one. Or so she said. And Fiona was usually the one to rescue them. Ice Queen had captured Hotdog Prince, Wildberry Prince, Ghost Prince, Lumpy Space Prince, Slime Prince, and Ragdoll Prince.

"Hello, boys," Ice Queen said, pushing the wheelbarrow toward the cage.

The princes gasped and whispered to each other. They were all frightened of the Ice Queen. She could easily kill them, and so they remained trapped in her lair.

"Now now, settle down, boys. I brought you a little girl and a kitty!" Ice Queen unlocked the icebar door and tossed the frozen heroes inside. The ice shattered as it hit the wall.

Fiona slid to the floor, clutching her throbbing head. She groaned. Cake's tail bushed out to double its normal size and she shook all the ice fragments off her fur.

"Oh my!" Wlidberry Prince cried in his sweet, high-pitched voice. "Fiona, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Fiona looked up, greeted by the worried faces around her. "Wildberry Prince, Hotdog Prince…? What's going on?"

Many of the princes hung their heads in shame. Slime Prince looked away. "We're all prisoners," he said in his low voice.

"Ice Queen!" Fiona shouted angrily, leaping to her feet.

She shrugged. "What?"

"Why're you keeping these guys prisoner, you jerk? What's your deal?!"

Ice Queen gripped the bars. "A tomboy like you wouldn't understand!" she cried. "I collect princes because I want to _marry_ one."

"If you just wanna marry one, why'd you capture six of them?" Cake asked.

"I'm collecting them _all_ first so that I can be sure to make the right choice," Ice Queen said. "You're both too young to understand, but marriage is a serious thing and lasts forever. You can't just rush into it, you know?"

"Ice Queen, don't do this," Fiona pleaded. "Just let the guys go. They _don't_ want to be here."

"Of course they do!" Ice Queen shouted, her voice rising shriller in annoyance. "I would have killed them already if they didn't want to be here! Right, boys?" Her hands glowed blue with magic as she stared at the princes, a look of warning in her eyes.

Slowly the boys nodded, muttering that they agreed.

Fiona sighed, turning to the captives. "Don't worry, princes. I pledge that Cake and I will protect each and every one of you. And furthermore, I vow to see all of you happily married to whatever sweet thing you all wanna be married to!"

Cries of excitement and hope welled up among the princes. Ice Queen rolled her eyes, muttering something angrily as she watched them.

"Cool!" Fiona pulled off her backpack. "Now I just need something to beat up the Ice Queen with." She rummaged through her bag, pushing aside items that were useless like her toothbrush, binoculars, water bottle, sweater…. She was just about to give up when her fingers curled around something long and wooden. She pulled it out. "My flute!"

The wooden flute was covered in tape, but it still worked. If she threw it just right, she might be able to stab Ice Queen with it. Fiona spun around and threw it with all her might. But the flute broke into pieces when it hit the ice bars. Ice Queen stared at the broken fragments, unimpressed.

"My flute!" she cried, shocked.

"Oh dang, girl! We broke it when we tried picking the lock to that sad ogre's heart," Cake said.

"Darn it! And it didn't even work then either…."

Ice Queen's shrill cackle echoed in the ice chamber. She danced joyfully as she mocked Fiona. "Nice try, tomboy! Did you see that, princes? Did you see Fiona fail?"

"Don't worry, baby," Cake said. "I'll get us out, with key hand!" Cake stretched and morphed her hand into the shape of a key.

"Oh no you don't!" Ice Queen shot a beam of magic into the prison. It struck the cat, freezing her up to her neck in a block of solid ice. Cake hissed.

"Cake!" Fiona shouted. She glared at the woman on the other side of the bars, "Ice Queen, you've gone too far! You'd better set us free or come in here and fight me! 'Cause otherwise, I'm gonna totally flip out!" She rushed toward the door and pounded on the bars.

Ice Queen shrugged, ignoring her challenge. She headed for a doorway across the room. "Don't hurt yourself, girl. I'll be right back."

"ICE QUEEN!"

"Fiona!" Cake shouted.

Taking a deep breath, Fiona turned to her frozen friend. "Cake, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Calm down and tend to the princes."

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. Princes. Are you all okay?"

They all muttered in unison that they were. Slime Prince inched forward. "She's held us here for weeks, questioning us about our favorite sports and quirky behavior. I've tried to tell her as little as possible."

Fiona nodded. "I understand." She glanced up at the lumpy purple blob that floated beside her. There was a gold star in his forehead and small mustache. "And Lumpy Space Prince, how are you holding out?"

He put his hands of his lumps and frowned. "I'm bored. And I'm not having any fun," he said in his odd voice.

"What?" Ice Queen's voice echoed in the room. They all turned to look at her as she approached the bars. "Not having any fun? Last night I read you the story of Baby What's-it and the Bottle Princess," she said holding up a children's book with badly drawn pictures.

Lumpy Space Prince stared at her, un-amused. He folded his arms. "That wasn't fun. That was lame."

"Other Princes, do you feel the same way?"

The others muttered together, nodding in agreement.

"Well here, watch," Ice Queen said, picking up her electronic keyboard. "I'll show you, we'll have some fun. Fun's my middle name." She set up the keyboard in front of the bars and gestured to Wildberry Prince. "Here now, Wildberry Prince, I need you to play this."

Wildberry Prince wrung his green hands nervously, the round berries on his body trembling with nervousness. "I don't think I know how…."

"Well come here, I'll show you."

He nervously approached the bars.

"Put your hands through the bars," Ice Queen said. He slowly reached through. Ice Queen took them and helped him push the keys in the right order. A light tune came from the instrument. "See? You just do it like this."

Wildberry Prince jerked his hands back. "I don't think I can…."

"You just play it like I showed you," she said softly.

"Leave him alone, Ice Queen!" Fiona shouted.

She summoned her magic and glared at the little prince in front of her. "Play it or I'll squish you into juice!"

"Oh dear…" he muttered.

Frightened, Wildberry Prince reached through the bars and played the tune exactly how Ice Queen had showed him. Ice Queen hurried into the other room and snatched up armfuls of other instruments—maracas, tambourine, kazoo, flute, triangle. She dumped them through the bars.

"That's better," she said. "Now everyone pick up an instrument and play it. This is going to be so fun!"

She skipped toward her drum set and picked up the drumsticks. The other princes all took up an instrument and hesitantly began to play. Fiona glanced around at all their forlorn faces. Ice Queen was oblivious to their misery as she pounded away on the drums. She knew she had to help them, but she didn't know how. Ice Queen seemed desperate enough to get the princes to like her and have fun. So maybe she could use it to her advantage. She screwed her eyes shut as she tried to think.

"What'cha think' about, girl?" Cake whispered.

"I'm devising a plan. And trust me, it's gonna be brilliant."

Cake grinned. "Sweet!"

Finally the music came to a climactic close. Ice Queen was grinning, obviously enjoying herself. The princes, on the other hand, were miserable. She laughed, positively giddy.

"Oh, that was fun!" she cried.

Now was her chance! "You're right," Fiona said. "It _was_ fun. Why don't you go get some more fun stuff?"

Ice Queen grinned. "You're right! Good idea, Fiona." She walked through the door, a big smile on her face. As soon as she disappeared through the doorway, Fiona turned to the princes.

"Alright, I've got a plan for how to get out of here," she said in a hushed whisper. "First, everyone needs to be dancing and laughing and saying fun stuff like 'Whoopie!' Okay? When Ice Queen comes back, everyone play it up so that she'll wanna come inside the jail and party with us. And when she steps inside, WHAM! I'll beat the tar out of her while you all take care of Cake. Everyone on board?"

They all whispered in agreement.

"Nice plan, girl!" Cake said.

"I think if everyone's saying 'Whoopie', the plan won't work, 'cause she'll know we're faking it," Lumpy Space Prince said.

Fiona nodded. "Good point, LSP."

He continued. "I'm gonna say something fun like 'oh yeah! I'm having a fun time! Oh my gosh!'"

Ice Queen's footsteps echoed in the ice cave as she came back. Fiona nodded to the princes. They all started dancing and laughing. They pretended as though they were having the time of their lives. Fiona joined them, acting as if she was at a cool party.

Ice Queen hesitated when she came back into the room. "Hey, what's going on?"

"We're having fun!" Fiona said, a big grin on her face.

"Because I left the room?" Ice Queen muttered.

"Because they like it here," Cake said. "Because they like _you_. Because you're a really fun gal!"

Ice Queen frowned. "I don't get it."

"She's not buying it, dance harder," Fiona whispered.

As the boys danced their hearts out, Lumpy Space Prince floated closer to the prison bars. He gestured for Ice Queen to join them. He winked. "Come on in here and party."

"Wanna dance with us, Ice Queen?" Fiona asked.

Her eyes lit up. "Really? _You_ want to dance with _me_?"

"Oh yeah!" Lumpy Space Prince said.

"Wow! Okay!"

Ice Queen unlocked the door and stepped into the ice prison. She started dancing with them. But before she could make it too far, Fiona punched her in the chin. The boys raced to the open door. Ice Queen shrieked, shooting bolts of ice from her hands in rage.

"Don't leave! I'll kill you all!" she screamed. Ice Queen glared at Fiona. "Why are you doing this?! Everyone was finally warming up to me!"

Fiona slapped her. "No way! That's totally not true! You're nuts, lady! You've gotta get it through your head—putting princes in jail is wrong!"

Ice Queen sprang to her feet, shouting in rage. "Fiona, you just ruined my chances with five or six potential husbands!" She gathered her magic. "For that, you will—"

Fiona punched her hard in the stomach. Ice Queen gasped, doubling over in pain. Fiona kicked her, knocking her against the cage. She hit her head on the bars and passed out, her magic tiara tumbling off her head. The princes cheered as they whittled away the ice imprisoning Cake. Once free of the ice, Cake stretched out the window. She expanded so she was large enough to carry everyone at once. The princes and Fiona climbed on her back and they all started off. No one wanted to be around when the Ice Queen woke up.

Fiona laughed. "I'm glad _that's_ over with. Let's get you guys home."

"Thanks again for saving us, Fiona," Slime Prince said. "That was very brave."

She giggled. "Well, you know. It's my thing. But you're welcome. Hopefully that crazy old lady will learn to stop predatoring on dudes."

Cake laughed. "Fat chance! But we'll always be ready to kick some Ice Queen butt!"

"You bet, we will!"

**_Chapter 6 will be up on Friday!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**I'm you all remember the episode "It Came From the Nightosphere." I wasn't sure if I wanted to genderbend Aberdeer, so it was a little tough to write, especially with Marshall's voice. So I hope you all like it! And don't forget to review!**_

**Chapter 6**

Fiona strode into the cave, humming to herself. It had been a while since she'd been to the beachside cave. It was the same place she and Cake had settled after Marshall Lee had kicked them out of the tree house. Now Marshall was living here. He had a two-story house at the edge of the water, a little dock at the back of the house. He had hung up a basketball hoop on the dock and put down fake grass around the home. Since he lived in a cave, real plants couldn't grow very well.

She walked up to the front door and knocked. It was a few hours until sunset and Marshall had invited her over to help him work on a new album. He was into music and wrote his own songs. But sometimes he needed a little help.

The door opened and Marshall leaned his head out. He wore his usual checkered shirt and jeans. "Yo. Thanks for comin' over, Fiona." He floated aside so she could come in.

"No problem, Marshall!" She walked in and he closed the door behind her.

Marshall hovered over to the corner of the room and picked up his red axe-bass. The inside of his house was pretty empty and a little messy—as per usual for a bachelor pad. The only things in the room were a coffee table, couch, and television set. He strapped on his bass and started to strum it, adjusting the strings so that it was properly tuned.

"Thanks for helpin' me record," he said.

"My pleasure." She pulled an old tape recorder and headphones from her backpack.

"Now, I'm gonna sing something super personal, so don't laugh! Got it?"

"I'd never dream of it." She snickered.

He nodded. "Okay. Now start a slow beat and keep it steady, or it'll mess up everything!"

"You got it!" She put on the headphones so she could still hear him with one ear. She slowly beatboxed a tune that was mellow yet upbeat. Pressing the record button, she kept up her pace.

Marshall started to play. He took a deep breath and started to sing. "Mommy, why did you eat my fries? I bought them, and they were mine. But you ate them. Yeah you ate my fries. And I cried, but you didn't see me cry." His voice was smooth and dark. "Mommy, do you even love me? Well I wish you'd show it, 'cause I wouldn't know it. What kinda mommy eats her son's fries and doesn't look him in the eyes? Mommy, there were tears there. If you saw them, would you even care?"

Fiona's beat slowly faded. The song was sad and depressing. She felt bad for Marshall. It sounded like his mom was a real jerk and that he missed her. She sighed. Marshall stiffened. He rounded on her, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Fiona, what the heck?! You messed the beat up!"

She stopped the recording and stuffed the tape recorder in her backpack. "Marshall, if you're thinkin' about your mom so much, why don't you just go and see her?"

Marshall leaned back as he floated in midair. He continued to strum his bass. "Nah, she's not worth the effort," he said, not looking at her.

"Not worth what effort?"

He floated lower until he was sitting on the ground. He sighed. "Well it's pretty complicated, you know? I gotta do all this stuff just to go to the Nightosphere to see her."

"Yeah? Like what?"

He shrugged. "First I gotta draw a circle with a happy face in the center." Fiona pulled out a marker and doodled the picture on Marshall's wall. "And then, uh…I'd have to douse it in bug milk." While he was distracted, Fiona darted into the kitchen and snatched a carton of bug milk from his fridge. She threw the milk on the wall, soaking the happy face. The picture sucked up the milk and started to glow.

"Oh yeah? Then what?" she asked.

The candles in the room flickered to life. Marshall sighed. "Then you're supposed to chant something stupid like _Moloso vobus come es spiridum_."

Fiona giggled excitedly.

Marshall strummed his bass and frowned. "But I-I don't wanna see her…I'm still mad at her for the thing with the fries and stuff."

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

The ground began to shake and the lights blew out. Marshall gasped and sat up straight. An eerie growl echoed in the room. Red light from the smiley face made the room look like it was painted with blood. Fiona toppled off the couch, scuttling backward. Marshall stood up quickly as his wall started to crack. From the smiley face a huge doorway split his wall open. Beyond it was a stairway leading straight into a pit of fire. A shadowy figure materialized beyond the smoke. A woman in a business suit and pencil skirt appeared in the doorway. She had pale skin and curly black hair, red eyes gleaming.

"Marshall Lee," she said, surprise evident in her voice.

"Fiona, what the heck did you do?!" Marshall shouted angrily.

"Um, I-I…reunited you with your family?" She laughed, uneasy.

Marshall glared at her. She backed up nervously.

Marshall's mother leaned down, scrutinizing the little human. "Is this little girl your evil servant?"

"I'm not evil, Marshall's mom!" she cried. "I'm super good!"

"Hm. Super good, huh?"

The woman snatched her by the shoulders. She opened her mouth wide, rows of sharp fangs gleaming in the red light. With a large gasp, she breathed deeply. It felt as if Fiona's body suddenly went cold. She was paralyzed. Fiona screamed. A translucent shroud surrounded her and was slowly being sucked into Marshall's mother's mouth.

"What are you doing?!" Fiona screamed.

"Stealing your soul," a voice echoed from his mother's throat.

She screamed in terror, arms flailing in a fruitless attempt to free herself. She could feel herself getting weaker. Fiona felt faint. But she couldn't find the strength to fight back. Marshall rushed forward and shoved them apart.

"Cut it out!" He groaned. "The heck! Man, you always do this!"

Fiona sat gasping on the floor, eyes wide.

His mother laughed. "Oh sweetie, I never know what's going to set you off." She gasped, her eyes resting on the bass in Marshall's hands. "Is that the family axe?" She snatched it from him.

"Hey! Yo, that's mine!" He glared at her.

Marshall's mother strummed it, curious. She frowned. "Did you turn it into some kind of lute?"

"Give it back, and get the heck out!" he shouted.

"Okay, okay." She jerked the axe out of Marshall's reach. "You know that's no way to speak to your mother, Marshall. But I'll go. Besides, I have business to attend to—sucking up all the souls in Oo."

Fiona's eyes widened. "W-Wait, w-what?! No!"

Marshall's mother threw open the door, axe in hand. "See you kids later." She stormed out of the house, door slamming shut behind her.

"Uhg! She jacked my bass!" Marshall shouted angrily.

"Oh my glob, I've unleashed evil unto Oo!" Fiona cried. "We've gotta stop her, Marshall!" She opened the door to chase after his mother.

He sighed. "Fine!" He scowled. "But I'm only coming with you to get my bass back…."

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Marshall held her by the arms as he flew her over the forests and hills. He was pouting as he carried her. Night had fallen, casting everything into darkness. Fiona squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of Marshall's mother somewhere. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know how she should handle his mother. The only vampire she'd known was Marshall, so maybe she'd have to stake her or something.

"Hey! So how do I kill this guy anyway?" she asked.

"Fiona, you can't kill my mom!" he shouted.

"Oh, I-I didn't mean…I'm sorry, I—"

He shook his head. "No! I mean you _literally_ can't kill my mom. She's like, you know, the demon empress of the Nightosphere. She's deathless."

"Oh. Dang it!" Something odd caught her eye down on the hill below them. A group of fluffy people were gathered at the top of the hill. "There! Below us! A gathering of Fluffy People! Maybe they've seen your mom." She glanced up at Marshall. "Let's check it out!"

Marshall shrugged. "Whatever." He flew down toward them, holding onto Fiona tightly. He set her down beside the group of Fluffy People. They all leaped back in surprise, trembling in fear. They muttered to each other, all huddled in one group. There was one, however, that stood apart from the others. "Whoa, they're all so freaked out."

"It's 'cause they're all scared of him."

Marshall jabbed his thumb toward the one Fluffy Person that stood apart from the others. The little guy turned slowly, rubber ball in hand. His eyes were wide and vacant. He moaned. Apart from the fact that he was still breathing and moving, he looked lifeless. Marshall nudged the Fluffy Person with his foot. The little guy didn't even react. He leaned closer and stared deep into the vacant eyes.

"Yup. The old lady's been here," he said. "C'mon. Let's go."

"Wait! We can't just leave the poor guy like this," Fiona protested.

Marshall folded his arms and sighed. He rolled his eyes. Fiona rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a small case of Tupperware.

She opened the lid. "I've got some soul food that Cake packed for me." Fiona glanced at the souless Fluffy Person beside her. "You like collard greens, or country fried steak?" She pulled out a piece of the country fried steak and tried to stuff it in the person's mouth. He merely moaned, not budging an inch.

"Look," Marshall said angrily, stalking over to her. "You wanna help him? Then help _me_ get my bass back!"

"Wait, how will that help hi—"

"MY MOM STOLE MY BASS GUITAR, FIONA!" His eyes flashed red and a dark aura surrounded him. "And when I get it back, I'm gonna break it over her neck and slam her back into the Nightosphere!"

"Yeah, but first we gotta return the souls your mom sucked out of these poor little husks. Right, Marshall?"

He tossed his hair out of his face and grumbled to himself. "Uh, sure, whatever. We'll do that too."

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Marshall flew her to a deep gorge close to the village of roughhousing women. The rocks were all made of red clay. Ruins lay in the bottom of the valley. The area was known for avalanches and rock slides. There were many loose boulders along the edge of the gorge. Fiona leaned over the craggy ledge. She couldn't see much below.

He folded his arms, staring down below. "Red Rock Pass," he muttered. "If my mom wants to make it through the mountains, she'll have to go through here."

"We can work together!" Fiona said enthusiastically. "We can smash her with one of these huge boulders when she walks by! And once she's smushed, all the stolen souls will go back to their rightful bods."

The sound of light whistling echoed off the rocks. She leaned close to the edge straining her ears so she could hear better. Marshall's mother's voice echoed in the empty gorge. She could hear her high heels clacking against the stone.

"Suckin' them souls, and stoppin' on them," his mother sang softly. "Souls souls souls!"

Fiona rushed toward a particularly large boulder. She rammed against it with all her strength, trying to push it down the gorge to crush Marshall's mother. She grunted with the effort.

"Marshall, a little help?!"

But when she looked up, she realized he was gone. She leaned over the edge, trying to get a better view. Marshall was sailing down toward his mother. He hissed, eyes glowing brightly. He swiped at his mother, but she avoided him easily. Clicking her tongue, she kicked him aside. He slammed into the rock wall with a painful thud.

"So," she said. "Trying to take a crack at your mother, are you?"

Marshall launched toward her. With a swift strike, she knocked him away with the axe.

"Marshall! Keep her there!" Fiona shouted.

She tried to push the boulder over with all her might. Down below, Marshall fought against his mother. But no matter what he did, she always had the upper hand. She chuckled as she knocked him aside. His mother slung the axe over her shoulder.

"You can't destroy me," she chuckled.

Marshall hesitated. "What? N-no, mom, I don't wanna destroy you." He shook his head, fists clenched. "Look, just give me back my bass and stay the heck out of my life!"

"You're not even alive! And that's no way to speak to your mother, Marshall Lee." She shooed him away. "Now go on, mother's busy."

He growled in frustration but obediently floated up to the top of the gorge. He plopped down beside Fiona with a groan. He propped his chin up in his hands.

"You blew it, dude," Fiona said. "We're supposed to be a team! A team who's smart, and'll stop your mom from sucking souls!"

"Whatever. Like I give a flip." Marshall sighed. "I just want my mom to care about me, ya know?"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

As they chased after Marshall's mother, a dark shadow loomed over Oo. She had been on a soul sucking rampage for hours, and now the fruits of her labor were showing. She towered above the trees, growing almost as tall as the mountains. Souls were flying from every corner of Oo, headed straight for his mother. Fiona's eyes widened when she saw her.

"Aw, man! She's growing huge!" Fiona cried.

Marshall's mother laughed darkly, enjoying the fresh souls.

"That's it!" Fiona cracked her knuckles. "I'm gonna take her down!"

Marshall arched an eyebrow. "Fiona, you're like an ant to her."

"Oh yeah? Well this ant is about to get in her pants!"

Marshall snickered. "What?"

"W-well I meant—you know! 'Cause I'm gonna make her uncomfortable while I release those souls!" She pulled her sword out of her backpack.

With a war cry, Fiona charged. She climbed up his mother's enormous leg, determined to make it to her head. She had to figure out where the souls were being stored and release them. The woman didn't even seem to notice that there was a little human girl crawling up her suit. Finally Fiona pulled herself onto Marshall's mother's shoulder.

"Give up those souls, Marshall's mom! In the name of justice!"

The sound of her voice seemed to startle the woman. She glanced down at the vampire at her feet. She frowned. "Oh. Marshall. Are you still following me?"

"I'll stop following you if you just frickin' give me back my guitar!" he shouted angrily.

His mother flicked Fiona off her shoulder. Hands on her hips, she stared down at Marshall. "Now, Marshall. You know better."

As Fiona fell after being flicked, she poised her sword to strike. Falling down on top of his mother, she plunged her sword into the enormous vampire's forehead. As she slid down her front, the sword sliced Marshall's mother's head down the middle. The vampire released an unearthly wail and the skin of her face peeled aside. Underneath was a devilish face with hundreds of tiny bubbles around her neck. They looked like large fish eggs with lofty, floating centers. But as Fiona looked closer, she realized they were souls. She lifted her sword to strike, but his mother batted her aside. Instead she accidentally cut the cord holding the axe-bass around the mother's neck.

Marshall snatched it out of midair. "In your face, mom!" he shouted.

"Give back that axe, Marshall Lee!" she demanded, wagging her finger. "You don't respect it enough."

"Yeah, well—you don't respect anything!" He started to float away. "I'm outta here!"

Fiona tried to stop him. "But—"

"Fine, go!" his mother shouted. "I'm too busy sucking souls to deal with you!"

"No! Wait!" Fiona cried. "Marshall, wait! Keep talking to her! When she's talking, she's too distracted to steal souls!"

"I said, I'm outta here!" He glared at her.

Fiona rummaged in her backpack desperately. "I gotta find a way to distract her," she muttered. She threw things out of her bag as she dug through it. She spotted the tape recorder and yanked it out. Marshall had said the song was super personal, but maybe it would be just the thing to stop his mom? It was worth a shot. She yanked the headphones out of the auxiliary jack and pressed play. The song crackled to life through the speakers and Marshall's singing voice echoed in the night air.

"Mommy, why did you eat my fries? I bought them, and they were mine. But you ate them. Yeah you ate my fries. And I cried, but you didn't see me cry. Mommy, do you even love me? Well I wish you'd show it, 'cause I wouldn't know it."

His mother hesitated. She stopped dead in her tracks as she listened. Marshall froze, his face flushed with embarrassment. She turned and faced her son.

"Marshall, do you really feel this way?" she asked.

Marshall turned around hesitantly. While they were distracted, Fiona crept up behind his mother.

"Mom, I…" he mumbled.

"Marshall, of course I love you!"

"Mom?"

"I'm sorry I ate your fries. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay, mom. Really…it's okay," he said, embarrassed.

"No, it's not okay!" She sighed. "They weren't even very good. They were really cold. I love you Marshall Lee. Don't you ever doubt that."

"Yeah. Me too, mom."

She smiled. "Oh Marshall, I am so—"

With a loud war cry, Fiona leaped at her. She drove her sword into the soul sacs, the blades ripping through them like butter. The souls shot out of her at record speed. Marshall's mother shrieked and thrashed about in pain. Swords still impaled in the vampire's neck, Fiona dropped to the ground. Snatching a stick, she drew a circle around Marshall's mother with a smiley face in the center. She threw a carton of bug milk in the center and shouted "_Moloso vobus come es spiridum!_"

With a shrieking wail, Marshall's mother was sucked downward. She screamed angrily as she was pulled back into her own dimension.

"I'll see you in the Nightosphere, you sick freak," Fiona muttered darkly.

"Fiona, how could you?!" Marshall shouted angrily.

She grinned. "How could I save the day?"

"Uhg!" He punched her hard in the arm.

"Ow!"

Marshall sighed. "Uhg…I'm emotionally exhausted."

"Yeah…I'm exhausted too." She fell back on the grass with a tired sighed.

Marshall sat beside her. "Man…swear you'll never do that again."

"I swear on my honor! No way I'd release evil like that onto Oo again."

He chuckled. "You know, I've never really met anyone as odd as you."

"Is…that a good thing?"

Marshall laughed. "Well, I don't think it's a bad thing." He stood up, bass in hand. "See ya later, doll face."

"Bye, Marshall!"

Fiona sighed, laying there staring up at the stars. After those horrifying events, she was ready for a nice long nap. She never imagined Marshall's mother would be quite like that. Then again, he _did_ say he was the Vampire King. It should have been expected. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a much needed sleep.

_**Chapter 7 will be up on Monday!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_I've been a little slow at writing this one, so this coming weekend, I'm only going to have one update (plus I'll be at Megacon so I won't have time to write). Please remember to review!_  
**

**Chapter 7**

Fiona and Cake sat in the tree house, game controllers in hand. Explosion sounds and screeches came from the little screen on the small green robot in front of them. One of their favorite past times was playing B-MO…well, playing video games via B-MO. They were playing a racing game. One of the digital cars veered off course and exploded as the other zoomed across the finish line. The words "You Win" flashed across the screen.

Cake leaped up. "Yeah! I win!"

Fiona tossed the controller aside. "Hey, no fair! You cheated!"

"Don't be a sore loser, baby."

B-MO laughed. "Would you like to play again?" B-MO said in her robot-voice.

"No thanks, B-MO," Cake said. "We gotta get ready for Couples Movie Night. So who are you gonna bring, girl?"

Fiona shrugged. "I dunno. Who are you bringing?"

"I'm bringin' my boyfriend. Who else?"

"Oh yeah…." Fiona glanced down at the little robot at her feet. "Well, how about I bring B-MO?"

"It's _couples_ night, Fiona! You gotta bring someone you can smooch!"

Fiona scowled and stuck out her tongue. "Ew, gross! Man, I don't wanna be smooched!"

"You don't have to smooch. You just have to bring someone you _can_ smooch. It's like the rules."

"Lame."

"Oh! Why don't you invite one of the princes?" Cake said with a grin. "I know most of them would _love_ to go with you."

"Hm." Fiona picked up their bulky old phone. She scrolled through the names in it.

"Who you gonna call?"

"I'm gonna call a guy I don't have to kiss." She found Prince Gumball's name and pressed the select button. The other end began to ring. She waited and waited as it kept ringing. Finally there was a click on the other end.

"Hello?" Prince Gumball's voice came from the other end.

"Hey Prince Gumball!" Fiona said. "You wanna go to Couples Movie Night with me?"

He chuckled. "Sounds romantic."

Fiona blushed. "No! I was just wondering if you wanted to go with me! Not like a date or—"

"No, sorry, Fiona. I'm busy practicing for the Whistling Choir Death Match Championship."

"But—"

"_Ciao!_" There was a click on the other end. Then silence.

Fiona sighed and hung up. "He doesn't wanna go."

"Girl, of course he does!" Cake said, snatching the phone from her. "Boys are complicated. We just gotta help him realize he wants to go to the movies with you." She scrolled through the names in the phone. "I'm calling Marshall."

"What?"

"Look, honey. I've been learning a lot about vampires lately, and I realize now that my fear was based on ignorance."

There was a click on the other end. "Speak," Marshall's smooth voice echoed through the phone.

"H-Hey, Marshall," Cake said. She twirled the curly cord around her finger as she spoke. "I've got a favor to ask. We want to make Prince Gumball jealous so he'll go to the movies with Fiona." There was a long silence. "Marshall Lee? Marshall? Come in, Marshall!"

There was a loud hiss behind Cake. The cat's tail bushed out to twice its normal size, all her fur standing on end. She leaped back in surprise, dropping the phone. Marshall hovered closer, laughing. Fiona giggled.

"So you gonna help us?" Fiona asked.

He shrugged and floated over to the couch where Fiona was sitting. He draped an arm around her shoulder and shrugged. "Yeah. Sure, I'll help. It'll be funny."

"Mathematical!" Fiona shouted.

"Great," Cake said. "Let's get a move on. I've a got a sure-fire plane that will _definitely_ get Gumball to go to the movies with you."

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

The sun had gone down over an hour ago. The three of them had entered the Candy Kingdom and were hiding in the bushes in the palace garden. Fiona could see Prince Gumball pacing in his room, whistling. Cake pulled them close.

"So here's the plan," she said. She pointed to Marshall. "You start saying things and Fiona, you start laughing _way_ loud. And then Gumball will get jealous of you." She pointed at Marshall again. "Which will awaken his love for Fiona!" Cake shoved the two of them out of the bushes and toward the window. "Go on, Marshall!"

He shrugged. "Okay. This could be fun."

Marshall arched an eyebrow and started saying whatever came to mind. It was mostly random nonsense. Fiona laughed and giggled. Cake waved to her, urging her to be louder. Fiona took the cue and laughed louder.

"Ahem!" Prince Gumball called from the window above them. "Greetings, Fiona," he said with a smile. But it quickly faded to a frown when he saw Marshall. "Hey, Marshall Lee…."

Grinning, Marshall made the rock and roll sign with his hand. "What up, Gumbutt?"

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. Prince Gumball turned to Fiona. "So, what's so funny?"

"O-oh." Fiona blushed. "I, um…uh, It's um…something."

"Well, then…keep it down out there," he said. "I'm trying to whistle practice." He waved goodbye as he started whistling again. He disappeared into the bedroom.

Cake hurried out of the bushes. "Oh, that was great, girl! Now we go on to phase two."

Fiona rubbed her arm absentmindedly. This was all kind of embarrassing.

"Wait here!" Cake rushed off to get ready for the next phase of her master plan.

Once Cake was out of earshot, Marshall glanced at Fiona. "Hey, look, man. I know Cake's your friend and all, but if you want Gumball to go to the movies with you, you gotta like stop listening to your cat's lame ideas. You gotta take advice from a real man." He gestured to himself.

"But Cake said phase two is powerful!"

"Pft! Seriously, Fiona. How is Cake supposed to know what guys want more than a _real_ guy?"

Fiona rubbed the back of her neck absentmindedly. "Yeah, I guess."

"Ok, great!" He hovered in front of her as he thought up his plan. "So…what we need now is something," he snapped his finger, "fun! Guys like having fun more than anything. So if you can show Gumball that you're fun, he'll defs wanna hit up the movies with you." He folded his arms as he stared at her. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

"Oh! Oh!" Her face lit up. "I like to wrestle! And fight!" She flexed her muscles and showed off some of her moves. Suddenly her face darkened. "Wait…guys like Gumball don't like wrestling, do they?"

"No no! That's perfect! Now all you gotta do is get in there and wrestle with Prince Gumball and show him how fun you are." He winked. "You can do it, doll face."

Marshall gestured her to follow. Excited about the new plan, she headed after him.

"Fiona, where are you going?" Cake called.

Fiona paused.

"Check it out." Cake held up an old lute and a fruffy purple outfit.

Fiona arched an eyebrow. "What _is_ that?"

"It's a lute-suit, girl! Guys love this romantic stuff, trust me!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Fiona sighed as she trudged down the hall toward Prince Gumball's room. She wore the puffy, fruffy pink dress. It was covered in ruffles and came with a feathery hat. She carried the lute in one hand as she walked down the hall. Cake had stretched herself to look like a chair. She sat in the hall, making sure Fiona didn't screw things up. Marshall floated toward her.

He laughed. "Fiona, what the flip are you wearing?!" He chuckled. "You look ridiculous!"

"It's a lute-suit," Cake said. "And Fiona looks adorable in it!"

He frowned. "Well it's gonna ruin the plan"

"What plan?" Cake looked at Fiona.

"Well…I was gonna give Marshall's idea a try too."

"His idea?! What's wrong with my idea?!"

Marshall stuck out his tongue. Suddenly they heard Gumball's whistling. They gasped. Marshall transformed into a bat and Cake froze, still shaped like a chair. Marshall hid up in the rafters. Gumball was walking down the hall, whistling to himself. He stopped suddenly when he saw her.

"Hey, Fiona. Did you ever find someo—" He laughed. "Whoa! What are you wearing?"

"Oh…. This is my lute…suit." She glanced at Cake. Discretely the cat made a motion that she should start playing the instrument.

"Oh right," Fiona whispered. She started strumming the lute and sang the lines again. "This is my lute-suit," she sang.

Prince Gumball laughed. "Fiona, that's hilarious!" He doubled over, holding his stomach in uncontrollable laughter. "You're killing me!"

Fiona blushed. She heard a soft 'pst' and glanced up at the rafters. Marshall, in his bat form, gestured some of Fiona's wrestling moves.

"Oh yeah." She set her lute down. "So…headlock!" Fiona leaped at him and wrapped her arms around Gumball's neck. He shrieked as she wrestled him to the ground.

"Guards!" he shouted.

A flank of Banana Guards rushed into the hallway and snatched Fiona by the arms. They dragged her to the front gates and tossed her out. Fiona rubbed her sore back as she sat up. What the heck just happened? Weren't guys supposed to like fun stuff like wrestling? They tossed out her lute, which snapped as it hit the ground. Cake crawled out of the lute and stretched back to her normal size. Marshall flew out and transformed back to his human form and sat beside her.

He laughed. "Man, that suit was ridiculous!"

"Ridi-Ridiculous?!" Cake put her hands on her hips. "Can you believe this boy, Fiona?!"

"Well…I guess the suit _did_ feel a little silly."

Cake frowned. "Well fine! You can just give it back then!"

Fiona pulled the goofy suit off and handed it back to Cake, muttering a quiet apology.

"Good luck getting into the movie without my help!" Cake snatched the suite and broken lute and stormed off.

"Glob, your cat's pretty ticked."

Fiona shrugged. "Nah. She's probably just hungry."

"Oh." He scooted closer. "Well taste this then. I got a new plan."

"Really?"

"The only thing guys love more than fun is excitement. He's gotta feel his blood pumpin', man! He's gotta be chased by wolves!"

"Like metaphorically?"

Marshall helped her up. He chuckled. "C'mon! I'll teach ya how to show a guy a good time." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He grinned. "Hold tight."

Fiona blushed, hesitantly wrapping her arms around him.

"You ready?"

"Uh-huh."

Marshall took off, Fiona holding onto him tightly. He flew her across the plains. Down below, he spotted a wolf pack running through the forest. He swooped down. As they came closer, he flew just above the wolves.

"You wanna take a few back? PG would totally freak!"

"I-I dunno…" Fiona muttered. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Psh. Whatever, girl."

Making a quick turnaround, he flew her back to the tree house. He dropped her off in front of the house.

"Sorry it didn't work out for ya, Fiona. Not like it matters though. With a brain lord like Gumbutt, you'd be bored with him in a week."

"Yeah, maybe," she muttered.

"Cool. Well, see ya later, I guess." He took off into the night, back to his own home.

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Back at his own place, Marshall was practicing some of his new songs. Floating over to his large amp, he plugged in his bass. He started strumming a few bars. But before he could start singing his new single, an odd noise greeted his ears. There was a tune he didn't recognize drifting in from outside. He leaned his axe-bass against the wall and opened the door. Fiona was standing in front of his house with Cake. She was wearing that ridiculously fruffy outfit she had tried to woo Gumball with.

"Oh no…."

Fiona strummed her lute. She started singing. "Marshall Lee! Will you go to the movies with me!"

"Uh…Fiona, we need to talk…."

She walked in, strumming the lute as she went. And with much prompting from Cake, she kept singing her words. "Good evening, good sir. Your escort is here!"

"Whoa! Girl, you do _not_ wanna go down that road with me."

"With you, I would go down any road," she said. "Especially if it leads to the movies!"

"Oh yeah?" He arched an eyebrow. "No girl in their right mind would wanna go to the movies with this!"

Instantly his body morphed. It warped into a black creature with hideous tentacles and arms all covered with lumps. His eyes were small and beady. He almost resembled and evil, black octopus. He snatched her up and chuckled darkly.

"What do you think of me now?" he said sarcastically.

She started at him a moment, unfazed. "How do you like your popcorn?"

"Ugh!" His hideous form started to recede, but he held onto her tightly. "You're starting to annoy me!" He was back to his vampire form.

"Then let's do something fun. Like go to the movies!"

"The heck!" He tossed her onto the couch. Marshall floated down and sat beside her. "Look. I like you but—"

She launched at him, wrapping her arm around his neck. "Headlock!"

Marshall snatched her arms and held her down forcefully. "Stop! Listen to me! I'm not gonna go to the movies with you!" he shouted, frustrated. He pushed her aside. "You wouldn't wanna date someone like me. I'm _evil_, remember?"

"_Date_ you?!" Fiona's face flushed a deep red. "Dude, I just wanna go to the movies!"

"Wait, you _don't_ want me to be your boyfriend?" he asked, confused.

"What?! No! Movies, hello!"

"If you weren't looking for a boyfriend, why were you romancing it up with Gumball all day?"

"Cause Cake said Couples Movie Nights have weird kissing requirements and romance initiation type junk."

"Maybe not exactly all that…" Cake muttered.

Marshall laughed. "Cool. Then, sure. I'll go to the movie with you."

"Really?! Sweet!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

The clearing in the forest was abuzz with excitement. Old cars and broken appliances littered the area. Dozens of couples had gathered to watch the movie. Marshall and Fiona sat atop an old pickup truck that was starting to rust. Fiona fidgeted as she waited for the movie to start.

"I'm so excited," she whispered.

Suddenly the projector sputtered to life. An image of two lovers flashed onto the large white screen. They muttered sweet nothings to each other. Slowly it started to dawn on Fiona what kind of movie this actually was. Finally, the characters leaned in for a passionate kiss. She gasped. Glancing around at the other movie-goers, she realized everyone was smooching and not even watching. Even Cake was making-out with Lord Monochromacorn. Fiona stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"Bleh! Oh, gross!" She leaned over to Marshall. "Dude, let's get outta here! This sucks majorly."

"Man, I'm right behind you," he said. "Lame."

Grabbing her hands, he lifted her up and flew her off to the tree house.

"Sorry the movie didn't work out," Fiona said.

"No prob, doll face. It was a pretty interesting night." He dropped her off in front of the tree house. "Anyway, I'll see ya around." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. He stuck out his tongue and flew off to his own house. "Later!"

Fiona blushed. She lightly touched the place his lips had touched. It kinda tingled…. What was that all about anyway? She shrugged. Oh well. It was probably just Marshall being weird and teasing her. Probably.

_**Chapter 8 will be up on Friday!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**I'm so so so sorry it's late, guys! I was so busy over the week that I didn't have time to write, and the weekend was super hectic and packed...I feel really bad that it's short and sooooo late! Please forgive me :( I spent my spare moments working on the chapter for today. So I hope you enjoy it**_

**Chapter 8**

Fiona, riding on Cake's back, chased down the Ice Queen as she flew back toward her lair in the Ice Kingdom. The old lady was back to her usual tricks—kidnapping princes. Wildberry Prince flailed in Ice Queen's grasp, shrieking for help.

"Faster, Cake!" Fiona shouted.

Ice Queen flew into a cave in the highest peak, vanishing from sight. Cake clawed at the mountainside, trying to climb it. But the ice was too slippery.

"It's no use, Fiona! I can't get a grip on it!"

"Can't you just stretch your legs up there?" Fiona asked.

"Oh. Right," Cake muttered, embarrassed.

She stretched them up to the opening at the peak. Fiona leaped in, tumbling off to the side. Wildberry Prince screamed for help in his shrill voice. Ice Queen rounded on her, hands glowing blue with magic.

"Fiona! Stop messing up my plans!" Ice Queen shrieked. "Why can't you just let me collect princes in peace?!"

Ice Queen cast an ice spell, but Fiona rolled off to the side. A pillar of ice exploded where Fiona had been standing seconds ago. "Kidnapping princes is wrong! What will it take to get it through your thick head, lady?"

Fiona pulled out her chipped, yellow sword. "Cake, you help Wildberry Prince! I'll take care of the Ice Queen!"

"You got it, baby!"

"Paws off my prince!" Ice Queen turned to Cake.

Fiona leaped forward, punching the old woman in the chin. She knocked the Ice Queen back. The Queen shot bolts of ice at her, but Fiona was too quick for her. She dodged them easily before slashing at her. Cake snatched up Wildberry Prince, prying off the ice handcuff as she carried him to safety. Ice Queen cried out in rage. She lunged at the cake. Fiona leaped on her back, knocking the golden tiara off the woman's head. Ice Queen gasped, all of her magic leaving her body instantly.

"My powers!" she cried.

Fiona punched her in the cheek. Ice Queen fell to the ground. She groaned.

"Come on, Cake! Let's get out of here!"

"You got it!"

Fiona leaped on Cake's back, Wildberry Prince sitting behind her. Cake stretched out through the mouth of the cave and bounded down the mountain. Ice Queen crawled toward her fallen tiara. Rubbing her sore cheek, she scooped up the crown and placed it gently on her head. Once back on her head, she felt her powers well up inside her. She sighed. A little penguin waddled out from the next room. It approached the Ice Queen and stared up at her with big, round eyes.

"Wank," the penguin said, patting her with its flipper.

Ice Queen sighed. "Oh, Gunther, why can't I get any of the princes to like me? What am I doing wrong?"

"Wank."

"I'm much more beautiful than that tomboy! I don't know what those boys see in her!" She stood up straight. "I've got more brains, beauty, and resources than she does! So what am I doing wrong?"

"Wank wank."

"I wasn't asking you, Gunther!" She stormed away, arms crossed. "If only I could get that girl out of the way…I wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. I could collect princes to my heart's content."

Ice Queen paced back and forth. There had to be a way to get Fiona out of her way. Without her, she would surely be able to get any prince she wanted. Even the hunky Prince Gumball. Perhaps there was a magic spell to send her to some other world. Lost in her thoughts, Ice Queen trudged down the large ice spiral staircase to her basement. Gunther waddled after her. Once down in the basement, she rummaged through her old spell books. There had to be something here she could use! She flipped through old books and scrolls. Finally she stumbled across an old record with some interesting theories. She glanced at the front cover.

"Universe Theories for Dummies: All you'll need to know about your world and others," she read aloud.

The old yellow book looked promising…and easy to read. She opened it and flipped through the pages. There were all kinds of weird theories about the universe and things…like String Theory and something about a bang. Then she stumbled across one that sounded promising. It talked about other dimensions and worlds. Like there were others just like theirs, but opposite. Could it be possible?

"This is it!" she cried.

"Wank!"

"No, Gunther! I didn't mean the book, it's what's _in_ the book!" She paced back and forth. "Other dimensions—other worlds. If it's true, maybe I can send Fiona away. Somewhere she can't interfere with my plans again."

"Wank wank."

"Yes. That's just what I was thinking!"

Gunther cocked his head to the side. "Wank?"

"No, of course not. I'll have to learn how to do it though. There's got to be a spell for it somehow. But where?"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Fiona and Cake dropped Wildberry Prince off at his house. After their successful mission against the Ice Queen, they headed off to the Candy Kingdom in search of a bit of fun. The entire kingdom was much more lively than usual. Many of the candy people were running around excitedly. Prince Gumball met them in the courtyard of the palace. Peppermint Maid escorted them into the palace garden before excusing herself from their company.

"Hey, guys," Gumball said. "Have an exciting day?"

"Boy did we!" Fiona laughed. "We just got back from kicking Ice Queen's butt! She was off kidnapping princes again."

Prince Gumball scowled. "Who did that evil witch take this time?"

"Wildberry Prince," Cake said. "But don't worry, sugar. He's safe and sound now."

He sighed with relief. "That's good to hear."

"So what's going on around here?" Fiona asked. "Everyone seems pretty excited for something."

"Yes. It's all for my royal biannual Gumball Ball," he said. "It's tomorrow night. Speaking of which, would you guys mind helping me decorate tomorrow?"

Fiona shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"You got it! You know me and Fiona love helping you out."

Gumball grinned. "Excellent! Meet me here tomorrow. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

_**Chapter 9 will be up on Friday! (for real this time)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**I think I'm going to switch back to once-a-week updates (Monday), because I'm just took freaking busy. Sorry, guy. I hope you enjoy the new chapter! And don't forget to review and shoot me suggestions and stuff when you finish reading! ;)**_

**Chapter 9**

It was a bright, sunny day in the Candy Kingdom. The whole of the kingdom was abuzz with excitement. Candy people were busy decorating and preparing for the enormous party that was being hosted at the palace. Prince Gumball had invited Fiona and Cake to help him decorate beforehand. The prince was busy setting up tables, tasting snacks and laying out decorations for the girls to help him with. Cake sat on the floor, tail flicking back and forth excitedly. She held what looked like a gingerbread man in her paws, except it was made out of some kind of jelly.

"Throw it, Cake!" Fiona said.

Stretching her arms, Cake tossed the little jelly-man toward her. Fiona kicked it as high as she could. The jelly-man flung up and stuck to the ceiling. There were numerous other jelly-men in various colors stuck to the ceiling. But unlike the people of the Candy Kingdom, the jelly-men didn't appear to be alive.

"You sure these things aren't alive or anything?" Fiona asked, glancing at the prince.

"Oh no, they can't even talk," he said with a smile, a red jelly-man in his hand.

Suddenly the jelly-man started making odd noises. Prince Gumball slapped his hand over its mouth. He laughed nervously. He tossed it at Fiona. She kicked it up and it joined the others on the ceiling.

"Thanks for helping me out, guys," Gumball said.

"What are these things for anyway?" Cake asked, batting one of the jelly-men between her paws.

"They're decorations for my biannual Gumball Ball. Tonight!"

Fiona snickered. "Sounds like it's gonna be large."

"Yes," Prince Gumball said excitedly. "So very large." He approached her and held out his hand for her. "And I'd like _you_ to accompany me."

Fiona blushed, placing her hand in his. He helped her up. "Really? Is that okay? I mean, are you sure?"

He chuckled. "Of course I want you to go! As my pal!"

Adjusting the weight of her backpack, Fiona glanced away. "Oh. Right…."

"Everything's going to be great!" Gumball grinned.

Suddenly the air temperature dropped and the room grew darker. Prince Gumball glanced around, confused. It had been sunny and warm only moments ago. Cake leaped up suddenly, all her fur standing on end. Her tail was bushed out to twice its normal size.

"Oh, Fiona, we got trouble!" Cake said urgently. "My tail is totally frizzing out!"

"I'll go check it out."

Fiona raced to the balcony on the other side of the room. As she raced outside, she realized something was completely wrong. Swirling black clouds covered the entire kingdom. The air was unusually cold and a strong wind began to blow. Bolts of blue lightning thundered from the storm clouds overhead. A figure emerged from the clouds, the darkness parting as they drew closer. The Ice Queen, wearing her usual blue dress and magic tiara, flew toward them. She laughed shrilly.

"Ice Queen!" Fiona shouted, annoyed.

Cake and Prince Gumball came out to see what was going on. Ice Queen flew straight toward them, summoning her magic. A shroud of blue magic engulfing her hands, she created a huge chunk of ice out of thin air.

"The prince shall be mine!" she cried.

"Get back inside!" Fiona shouted, shoving Gumball through the doorway.

The enormous block of ice slammed into the doorway just as they made it inside. Bits of the wall crumbled on impact, leaving a slight gap big enough for the old lady to fit through. Ice Queen slid down the ice and approached them, hands glowing with her magic.

"Get away from my Gumball, tomboy!" Ice Queen said angrily.

Fiona clenched her fists, ready to fight. "Ice Queen, why do you always gotta be predatoring on dudes?"

"You should talk!" she cried. "Keeping all the hot babes all to yourself, never letting me have any fun!"

Prince Gumball made a face in disgust.

"W-what?" Fiona muttered, taken aback.

"Well, not this time!" An enormous beast made of slushy snow formed around the Ice Queen, fangs of ice gleaming. It roared as it lumbered toward the prince.

He screamed. "Slush beast!"

The beast's arm shot toward the prince, the slushiness extending as far as Ice Queen desired. She pushed him against the wall. Fiona could glimpse the Ice Queen's shadow within the beast as she rushed toward Prince Gumball. The prince struggled to free himself, but to no avail.

"Cake! Morning star mode!" Fiona shouted.

Cake stretched herself into a ball of spikes. Fiona snatched her by the tail and swung her in circles. She flung her cat at the slush beast. The creature exploded on contact, shrouding the room in a curtain of white. Snow fell, blanketing everything in a carpet of thin powdery whiteness. Fiona couldn't see anything. Was Gumball alright? She glimpsed a thing shadow coming toward her. Gumball's pink and purple clothes cut through the whiteness.

"Fiona," he said breathlessly. "You saved me from the Ice Queen."

"Oh, yeah. I guess." Fiona glanced around quickly. "Is she gone?"

"She must have fled." Gumball approached her slowly. "Fiona, you look beautiful amidst all this snow." Fiona blushed as he spoke, "What are you doing later?"

She wasn't sure what to make out of his question. She adjusted the weight of her backpack. "I-I was…just gonna go home I guess," she muttered, embarrassed.

"Let's go out."

"Go…out?" What did he mean? Gumball was acting kind of strange.

"Yes! Let's go somewhere."

"What?"

Cake snatched Fiona's arm, leaping up excitedly. "We'd love to!"

"Excellent!" Prince Gumball's face lit up. "Meet me in the palace gardens in an hour."

"Yes, of course!" Cake said, dragging Fiona toward the door. "We'll be there!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Back at the tree house, Fiona was still trying to figure out what Prince Gumball had meant. He had never talked that way to her before. It kind of excited her—she'd had a crush on him for a long time. Cake sat on the couch, watching her pace.

"O-o-oh, it's a date," Cake said excitedly, grinning.

"What's a date?" a dark voice asked.

Cake and Fiona jumped. They glanced around, but no one was there.

"Hello?" Fiona asked hesitantly.

Cake stiffened suddenly. The rabbit ears of Fiona's hat were moving on their own. Something tugged at her hat. Then it felt as if someone was swatting at the blonde hair that framed her face.

"Hey!" She swatted blindly. "The heck?! Cut it out!"

A dark chuckle filled the room. Marshall appeared behind her. He hissed. "Boo!"

"Boy, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Cake cried.

"I _knew_ it was you, Marshall!" Fiona shoved him playfully. "What's the big idea sneaking up on us, huh? You spying?"

He shrugged. "Nah. Just thought it'd be fun—'cause you're interesting." He leaned forward. "So. What's a date?"

"Get this," Cake said excitedly. "Prince Gumball asked Fiona out! It's a date!"

"No it's not," Fiona said defiantly. She frowned. "I'm sure when he said 'go out' he meant 'go out' not 'go _out_'."

Marshall arched an eyebrow. "That brainiac? You still into him?"

Fiona blushed. She rubbed her arm absentmindedly. "Well…yeah, I guess. But I don't think that's what he meant by 'go out.' Gumball's not into tomboys like me."

Cake leaned forward. "Shut up! He's into you!"

"Yeah?" Marshall hung upside-down and leaned closer, their faces inches from each other. "Well _I_ think you're a pretty awesome chick. Screw what Gumbutt thinks!"

"Thanks, dude."

"Oh come on, girl," Cake said. "Don't be so negative about the prince!"

"You heard him! I'm like his guy friend." She sighed.

"Well that can change tonight." Cake winked.

Fiona folded her arms. "Then if it's a date, why are _you_ coming?"

"I'm coming to help _you_."

Marshall laughed. "Sounds like it's gonna be pretty math," he said sarcastically. "I bet we'll see how the _date_ turned out at that uptight ball tonight."

"Are you going?" Fiona asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Got nothing better to do."

Cake leaped off the couch. "Hold on, I'll bring my dulcimer." She picked up on odd contraption with strings and strapped it to her back.

Fiona groaned. "Come on!"

"It's a conversation starter," Cake said. "Now let's go! We don't wanna be late."

"Uhg! Fine…." She trudged after her cat. "But I'm only doing this to prove you wrong."

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

They arrived at the palace gardens right on time. But Fiona was growing more and more anxious. She hesitated.

"You know what," she said nervously. "Let's just bail. I changed my mind." She started to leave, but Cake snatched her sleeve.

"No!" She snatched her by the collar and pulled her closer. "Don't retreat, girl!"

"Hello, Fiona," Gumball said excitedly.

The two girls jumped. Prince Gumball was standing behind them, a big grin on his face.

"And I see you brought Cake," he said.

"That's…cool, right?" Fiona asked hesitantly.

He nodded. "As long as it's cool that I brought Lord Monochromicorn."

A long, black stallion with a gray mane and a horn on its forehead swooped down and landed in their midst. Cake instantly perked up. The handsome Monochromicorn was her boyfriend. She started purring as she stared up at his muscled form.

"Hiya, gorgeous," Cake said sweetly.

Lord Monochromicorn stamped his foot a couple times, as if he was talking in Morse code. Cake's tail bushed out and a wide grin spread across her face.

"Accept these tokens of our esteem," Gumball said, holding out a little sack and a bouquet of flowers.

It was a first for her to receive flowers and junk. She didn't really know how to react. Fiona waved her hand dismissively. "You didn't have to."

"Nonsense!" He handed Cake the little pouch in his right hand. "For you, Cake, a satchel of Nepetalactone. Mochro picked it himself."

Cake sniffed the bag. Her eyes instantly grew wide and glossy. "Catnip! _Sweet _babies!"

"And for you, milady," he said turning to Fiona. He held out the bouquet. "A bouquet of posies."

She took it hesitantly, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "O-oh. Uh, they're…."

"There's a surprise in the center."

Fiona parted some of the flowers. A glittering pink gem was nestled in the center. When she touched it, the crystal lengthened into a razor-sharp crystal sword. She gasped. "A crystal sword?! I'm all _about_ swords! How did you know?"

"I pay attention to things I see you being _all about_."

She gently nudged his shoulder with her fist. "Thanks, dude. It's just," her eyes lit up as she stared at the blade, "Wow."

Prince Gumball climbed into Mochro's back. He gestured for Fiona to follow. "Come. For the wowiness has only just begun!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

By the time evening had rolled around, Fiona and Prince Gumball had spent hours together. The four of them—Mochro and Cake included—had gone for a long walk, raced to Marshmallowy Mwedows, and spent the early part of the evening staring at the stars. But just after their race, Cake and Mochro had left the two of them alone, in which time Prince Gumball had serenaded Fiona with a beautiful song.

Fiona was feeling nervous and kind of strange. Prince Gumball had re-extended his invitation to join him at the ball…as his girlfriend! She was freaking out. She didn't know what to do! The only person she knew who had any experience with boys was Cake. And her cat was more excited than Fiona was. She had made her a beautiful white gown with gold trim and pink ribbons just for the occasion. Fiona had stuffed her retractable crystal sword in her purse and the two of them were off to the Candy Kingdom in a flash.

As they arrived at the front gates of the palace, Fiona slid off Cake's back. Cake helped her straighten out her dress before she went in. Fiona took a deep breath and reached out hesitantly. Pushing back the curtain slightly, she peered inside. The whole palace was lively with music and hundreds of people. Everyone in the Candy Kingdom had shown up for the event. Even some of the other princes had shown up, like Lumpy Space Prince, Wildberry Prince, and Turtle Prince. Fiona's stomach was doing weird flip-flops and her chest tightened. It was a weird sensation that she'd never felt before. She glanced around the room when suddenly a flash of red and blue floated past her. The figure stopped suddenly. Marshall did a double-take when he spotted her.

Hovering toward her, Marshall looked her up and down. He chuckled. "Whoa! Fiona, you're in a dress!"

"Yeah. Never thought I'd wear something so frilly and weird." She tried to hook her air behind her ear, but her hat kept getting in the way.

"Strangely, it looks good on you." For some reason, seeing her look so girly made him feel kind of strange. He'd always looked at Fiona as someone who was fun to tease and hang out with. But now he saw her as more of…well, a girl. She looked beautiful. He rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly. "Never thought I'd see you in something like that."

"Yeah, well, here I am!"

Cake tugged on her dress. "Girl, look over there! I see the prince."

Hearing the cat mention Prince Gumball made Marshall frustrated. It made him angry. Folding his arms in a huff, he started to float off. "Guess I'd let you get to it."

Prince Gumball glanced up, his face brightening when he spotted Fiona. She waved back at him hesitantly. The prince politely excused himself from the conversation he'd been having with Cinnamonbun and headed toward her. Fiona took a step back hesitantly. Prince Gumball pushed the curtain aside.

"I've been looking for you," he said.

"Well, here I am!"

"Indeed!" He took her gently by the hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

"Okay."

"Woo! Okay, girl, I'll see ya later!" Cake hollered after her.

Gumball led her away from the party and into a different part of the castle. They headed up the stairs to a more secluded, less lively area. Everything was dimly lit. The prince opened the door at the top of the stairs and stepped aside for her. Fiona glanced around curiously as she walked inside. It was a dim room, lit only by candles. There was a bed set up with rose petals sprinkled across the sheets. She heard the door close behind her, and then a click. Something felt a little off.

"Um, is this like your bedroom?" She turned around at the sound of the click.

"Fiona," he said passionately. Slowly he began unbuttoning his shirt as he approached her.

Fiona's eyes widened. She took a step back. "What're you—?!"

Something cold and wet dripped on her. Fiona jumped. She looked up. That's when she noticed the huge chunk of ice stuck to the ceiling. Prince Gumball was frozen inside, a look of horror plastered to his face. Fiona gasped. If Prince Gumball was frozen, then who…? She turned to the Gumball before her.

Prince Gumball laughed, but his usual voice melted to a shrill cackle. As the prince peeled away the clothes, the Ice Queen emerged. She had disguised herself as the prince and tricked her!

"This was so much easier than I thought it would be!" Ice Queen said excitedly. She hurled a bolt of icy lightning at Fiona.

Fiona ducked just in time. Her face flushed in embarrassment, she rounded on the old woman. "This is _really_ messed up, Ice Queen! What is your problem with me?!" The ground started to shake as a pillar of ice formed beneath her.

"You're what stands between me and my Gumball!"

Spike of ice shot out from the pillar. It sliced straight through the new dress, ripping it to tatters. Fiona tugged at it, pulling herself free. "Uhg! I can't believe I fell for this trash! You got me to show up in a dress and with a purse—" She gasped. "My purse! My sword!"

In all the confusion, she had dropped her purse. Fiona darted toward it. Rummaging inside, she pulled out the retractable crystal. She activated it and it lengthened into a diamond-hard blade. But suddenly it changed shape. The blade disappeared, replaced by a thick ball of ice. Her arms were frozen in place.

Ice Queen laughed maniacally. "You like my ice sword?"

Fiona shouted in frustration. "Get it off me!" She rushed forward and slammed the ice boulder repeatedly into the queen's head. Screaming in rage, the old woman shot an icy blizzard from her hand. It launched Fiona toward the frozen Gumball. As she sailed toward the ice pillar, Fiona lifted her arms. She slammed the ice into the pillar, shattering it. The ice around her hands broke on contact. Fiona caught Prince Gumball as they fell. Ice Queen screamed in frustration.

Suddenly the door burst open. Cake forced herself inside. "What's going on in here?!" When she laid eyes on Fiona's tattered appearance, her tail bushed out and she rounded on the prince. She launched at him, claws ready to strike. "Don't you touch her!"

Fiona snatched her away from the prince. "It's okay! It's okay!" she insisted. "It was the Ice Queen."

"Paws off my prince!" Ice Queen shouted.

A stream of ice shot toward the cat. She hissed as it started to freeze her entire body. Ice Queen laughed as she watched the cat suffer. But she was so enraptured with the cat that she hadn't realized Fiona creeping up on her. Fiona knocked the tiara off her head before punching her in the jaw.

Ice Queen gasped, staring at her hands in horror. "My magic tiara! My powers!" she cried.

Fiona snatched her by her dress. "And _this_ is for yanking my heart-guts!" She punched her with all her might, knocking her out cold. She stood over the unconscious Ice Queen, panting.

"Wow, Fiona," Gumball said, in awe. "You're just—you're really incredible! Thank you so much for saving me."

She shrugged. "Yeah, well, it's what I do."

In all the excitement, Fiona had lost sight of what had happened throughout the day. She had kind of enjoyed the date they'd had…even if it was actually the Ice Queen. But at the same time, she realized that it hadn't really been Prince Gumball and that he didn't see her as a romantic interest. She was like his "guy friend." She sighed. The thought depressed her. She had been crushing on Gumball for a long time, but he just didn't seem to notice her like that. And she wondered when he would _ever_ take notice of her. Even if it wasn't today, she might still have a chance.

_**Chapter 10 should be up on Monday!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Sorry this chapter's a little short. And if anyone's interested, I signed up for , so if you would like to read any of my original stories, I would greatly welcome the constructive criticism! My username is the same as it is here :) Don't forget to review!**_

**Chapter 10**

Fiona sat on Marshall's porch, fiddling with her tape recorder. It had been a while since she'd been over at his place. After Prince Gumball's Gumball Ball, he had seemed a little sulky. He also acted a little different…after seeing her in that dress and all. Marshall hovered above the porch strumming his base.

"Working on some new songs?" Fiona asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I got some ideas. Mostly stuff from my journals and junk like that."

"Hey!" Cake hollered from inside the house. "You got anything in this fridge that's _not_ red?"

Marshall chuckled. "I'm a vampire, remember? I only eat _red_ things."

"So you write songs from your journals? I didn't know you did stuff like that! What's in it?" Fiona leaned forward, excited.

"It's nothing special. Just a bunch of stuff about my past." He played a chord. "Boring."

"Oh." She rewound the tape. "There! We can record now if you want."

"Cool. Follow me." Marshall floated inside. Cake sat on the floor, munching on what looked like a red fish. Marshall plugged his bass into the huge amp in the corner. "Lay down a slow beat for me. But keep it steady and smooth."

"You got it." Fiona started beatboxing and she pressed the record button.

Marshall strummed away, taking a moment to get the melody just right. He sang a soft, yet heavily emotional song. It felt kind of dark yet light. Fiona didn't really understand it except that it sounded…conflicted. He was singing about someone close to him that he was confused about, but she couldn't make much more sense about it. When he finished playing, she pushed the record button again. Cake clapped.

"That was amazing! Your songs are really something else, Marshall," Cake said.

"I just mostly sing about what I feel, ya know?"

"It sounded kinda different than your usual stuff," Fiona said. "What were you thinkin' about when you wrote it?"

He shrugged. "It's about a girl."

"Woooo! Baby!" Cake leaned closer. "Who is it?"

"A girl?!" Fiona was shocked. "Is it about your girlfriend?"

He laughed. "I haven't had a girlfriend in a looooong time. Last one I had was Ashley, but she's past business now."

"Then who was it about?" Cake persisted.

"It's about this girl who's kinda adventurous but also kinda dense."

"That's pretty vague," Fiona muttered.

Cake folded her arms in a huff. "Hmph! No kidding."

"Enough about the girl, I wanna hear what happened with you and the prince the other night." Marshall floated toward Fiona. "You hit it off with the brainiac or what?"

Fiona blushed. "O-oh…um. Well it turns out it was actually the Ice Queen disguised as Prince Gumball. The date thing was kinda fun until I found it was her."

"So you gonna still romance it up with Gumbutt?" Laying on his stomach as he floated in midair, he propped up his chin in his hands.

"What's it matter to you, huh?!" she shouted, embarrassed.

Marshall chuckled. "Nothin'. Just curious. You seemed pretty into him and I thought it was interesting." Truth was, he was kinda jealous. He didn't know when it began, but he was starting to like her. Sure he had thought she was just an interesting girl before, but now it was a little different.

Fiona shrugged. "Well, I've had a crush on him for a long time, but he doesn't like me like that. I'm like his guy friend after all."

Cake sighed. "I _told_ you it could still change."

"Yeah right." She rolled her eyes, pouting. "He'll never like me like that. Guess I just gotta give up on it."

"So you're givin' up on Mr. Pink Pants?" He rolled over so he was looking at her upside-down. "That's pretty boring."

"Like you have any right to talk!" Fiona shot to her feet and swung at him.

Marshall chuckled as he easily evaded her punch. "Whoa! No need to get feisty, doll face."

Folding her arms, she turned away in a huff. "Whatever. Sometimes I don't get you."

"What d'ya mean?" He hovered closer.

"I get that you flirt with me and it's funny and junk, but it just messes with my head!" She glared at him, growling in frustration. "I mean, come on! Why do you call me 'doll face' and stuff like that?"

Marshall snatched her chin and tilted her head up so she was staring at him. He grinned. "Isn't it obvious? Glob, Fiona, you're like the densest girl I ever met."

Fiona blushed. She smacked his hand away. "Yeah?! What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "It means what it means." Marshall glanced out the window. It was a little past midnight. Fiona and Cake had been over for a while. No doubt they'd want to get home and sleep soon. "Anyway, thanks for helping me record." He unplugged his bass.

"No problem. Call me whenever you wanna record anything."

Cake hopped to her feet. "We like hearing you play. And boy, you can be sure I won't pass up opportunities like that!"

He laughed. "Cool. I'll keep that in mind."

Fiona packed her stuff in her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She and Cake started for the door.

"Hey, wait," Marshall said suddenly.

Fiona turned around. He tossed something pink at her. She caught it clumsily. It was sticky.

"You almost forgot that," he said.

She glanced down. It was a lock of Prince Gumball's hair. She had kept it when he gave it to her ages ago. Fiona's face turned a deep shade of red. Chuckling, Marshall floated closer. He tilted her chin up.

"Your face just turned a _delicious_ shade of red." He grinned mischievously. "Makes me wanna lick it clean."

Her heart pounded faster. She smacked his hand away and shoved him back. "S-sorry, I gotta go!" she stammered. She slammed the door behind her. Her heart was pounding faster than she had ever thought possible. That had been quite a shock! She and Marshall were good friends, but he had never acted like that before. What was with him?

"Oooooh! Girl, I think Marshall likes you!" Cake whispered.

"W-what?! No way! I mean…yeah, he likes me. We're friends! But he doesn't _like_ like me."

"Shut up! He's totally into you!" Cake smirked. "When have I ever been wrong about this?"

"You were wrong about Gumball…" she muttered bitterly.

"Well you can't win them all," Cake huffed. "But trust me! He totally likes you."

"Whatever…." Fiona trudged toward the entrance of the cave. Stuff like crushes and liking people was something she didn't want to think about. Especially after the fiasco with Prince Gumball. But for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe Cake was right.

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Late that same evening, in the Ice Kingdom, Ice Queen poured over her ancient books. She was determined to find a way to get rid of Fiona. That stupid tomboy had gotten in her way with the princes one time too many. And she was determined to fix the problem. She was researching the "other dimensions" theories again.

"Just you wait, tomboy," she muttered to herself. I'll find away to get rid of you once and for all! Just you wait."

_**Chapter 11 should be up on Monday!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Starting my only little mini-arc, not just gender-bend episodes :) I hope you like it so far! And don't forget to review!**_

**Chapter 11**

Ice Queen poured over an old book as she sat in her icy basement. A little penguin waddled up to her and patted her leg with its flipper. She jumped.

"Gunther! Don't scare me like that!" She put the book down and picked up the penguin. She giggled. "Oh, Gunther, what am I going to do with you? You silly penguin."

"Wank!"

"You're right, Gunther. I _did_ figure it out!" She set the penguin down.

"Wank?" Gunther cocked his head to the side

"You watch your mouth! I will _not_ mess it up!" Storming toward the full-size mirror she had hanging on the wall, she summoned her magic. The temperature suddenly dropped and the room grew darker. "World alike in sun and snow, show me what I want to know!" He blue magic shot from her fingertips and struck the mirror. The glass rattled and the surface suddenly seemed to ripple—like it was made of water. Blurry images swam into focus. Beyond the rippling glass was what appeared to be Ice Queen's lair…but it was different somehow. A blue figure walked past, clad in only a ratty pair of underpants

Ice Queen shrieked in horror, covering her eyes. "Oh! My beautiful eyes!"

A shout echoed from the mirror. The image of an old man with a long white beard and long pointed nose approached the mirror. His skin was blue like the Ice Queen's and he wore a golden crown.

"Who dares spy on the Ice King?!" he said angrily, leaning closer.

"Ice King?! How can you be Ice _King_, I'm the Ice _Queen_! I don't recall marrying an old, blue prince!"

He arched an eyebrow. "Ice Queen?" He gasped. Ice King's eyes lit up in excitement. "It can't be! Are you _really_ the Ice Queen?"

She folded her arms and turned away in a huff. "Of course I am! No put some clothes on! It's positively indecent!"

The Ice King stormed away and pulled on his blue robe. He approached the mirror again, scrutinizing the queen. "You don't look how I pictured you," he muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh!" He laughed. "Sorry, it's just that I've written so many fanfictions of Fiona and Cake with the Ice Queen," he said, holding up a handwritten book. "But you're not exactly how I imagined."

"Wait! Did you say _Fiona_?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yeah, I—"

There was a simultaneous "Wank" from both sides of the mirror.

"Gunther!" they shouted in unison. "Be quiet while I'm—"

"Wait, did you just say _Gunther_?" Ice Queen asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah. That's my penguin, see?" He held up a penguin that looked identical to Ice Queen's Gunther.

She gasped. "It's exactly like _my_ penguin!" She held up her Gunther.

"That's impossible!" Ice King frowned. "There can't be two Gunthers!"

"Unless our worlds are parallels," Ice Queen said. "In your world I'm a hideous old man, and here I am a gorgeous Ice Queen!"

"Yeesh, and I thought _I_ was full of myself," Ice King muttered.

"Silence!" she shrieked. "I have a proposition for you. How would you like to help me get rid of a pesky little girl?"

"Is she a princess?"

"No. She's an annoying little tomboy who's always getting in the way of me and my sweet princes!" Ice Queen clenched her fists angrily.

"Not a princess?!" He turned away, chuckling. "Then no thanks! I only like princesses."

"Are you sure? Aren't you a Fiona fan?"

Ice King paused. He glanced over his shoulder. "Did you say _Fiona_?"

"That's ri-i-i-i-ight!" she said in a sing-song voice.

"You mean…she's real?" His eyes lit up. "I've been searching for Fiona for a long time! Of course! I'll do it!"

Ice Queen laughed maniacally. "Excellent!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

"Go long, Marshall!" Fiona shouted. She hurled a snowball the size of a baseball at him. Marshall dodged it easily.

"I told ya you couldn't hit me." He chuckled.

She scooped up another handful of snow. "Oh yeah?"

"We're just getting' started, baby!" Cake said.

She slid under Fiona and stretched to twice her size. Fiona began throwing snowballs down at the vampire. Again Marshall dodged them all effortlessly. He scooped up a handful of the powdery snow and molded it into a snowball. He threw it up at her.

"Cake, dodge it!"

The cat stretched to the side just in time, the ball whizzing past.

"That was close," Cake muttered. Suddenly something cold and wet smacked her in the face. Snow dripped off her furry face. Marshall laughed. Fiona chucked a snowball with all her might. It nailed him square in the face. He fell backward in the snow.

"Yo! That's not fair! I wasn't looking!" he shouted.

"Geronimo!" She leaped off Cake's back and landed in the deep snow drift. She and Marshall laughed like giddy elementary schoolers.

Marshall flopped backward, stretching out in the cold snow. "Man, I'm glad we actually came out to the Ice Kingdom. I haven't done something like this in a long time."

Fiona laughed. "Yeah, me neither." Suddenly and idea came to her. "Hey! Next time, let's invite Lumpy Space Prince and Prince Gumball and some of the other guys! It would be waaaaay more fun with more people."

"You think an uptight wad like Gumbutt would wanna have a snowball fight?" He arched an eyebrow. "Good luck trying to convince him."

"Oh come on!" She nudged his shoulder with her fist. "He can be really fun! Just give it a try."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever you say, doll face."

Fiona blushed slightly, remembering what happened the last time he had called her 'doll face.' She fiddled with her hair absentmindedly. Marshall sat up, staring at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Thinking."

He chuckled. "I can see that. There's smoke coming out of your ears."

"There is not!"

He laughed.

Cake snickered. "Don't let him get the best of you, girl. There's no smoke."

She turned away in a huff. "Whatever."

Suddenly the sky grew overcast with thick storm clouds, blocking the moon and stars from sight. Thunder rumbled and the air temperature dropped drastically. Fiona sat up straighter. All the fur on Cake's back stood on end, her tail poofing out to twice its normal size. Bolts of blue lightning streaked across the sky.

"What's going on?" Marshall wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's trouble," Cake said. "My tail's totally frizzing out!"

Fiona squinted. It looked like the clouds were curving around the highest peak, concentrating into a black swirling mass. That was the Ice Queen's lair.

"Ice Queen," Fiona muttered.

"You think it's her?"Marshall asked.

Cake bristled. "What the heck could she be up to?"

"I dunno," Fiona said. "But whatever it is, I don't like it."

_**Chapter 12 will be up on Monday!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Sorry it's late, guys. I had an early morning flight and just got in, and I was finishing the chapter on the plane, so sorry if it's kinda rushed sounding**_

**Chapter 12**

Fiona and Cake sat in Prince Gumball's lab, inside the Candy Kingdom palace. He had invited them over to take a look at the results of his latest experiment. He had been trying to create a new type of indestructible armor. Fiona leaned against the table staring at the pink and purple slab of metal that lay on the surface. She nudged it gently.

"Soooo is this it?" she asked.

"Yes!" Gumball said excitedly, lifting up his protective goggles. "It has taken me weeks to perfect, but I've finally finished."

"You said it's indestructible right?" Cake said.

"It is indeed. Go ahead, try it on."

Fiona lifted the breastplate and pulled it over her head. It was extremely heavy, despite how it looked. But what was weird about it was the intricate floral patterns and bright pink and purple colors.

He was beaming with pride. "Well? What do you think?"

"Well…it's definitely something…."

Cake snickered. "You look like a reeeeaaal girl, Fiona."

"Shut up!" she snapped, face flushing bright red.

Suddenly the ground began to shake. The vials and beakers in the lab rattled and clinked together.

"What was that?" Fiona asked.

Cake glanced around. "An earthquake?"

"Hmm…that's very odd," Gumball muttered. "We've never had an earthquake before so I—"

The wall behind them exploded. Chunks of candy wall and brick littered the floor. Fiona leaped in front of the prince, pushing him to the side. Cake hissed, her fur standing on end. A shrill cackle rang in the air, the owner of the voice hidden in a cloud of dust. A beam of blue magic shot out and struck the prince. He cried out in terror as he was frozen up to his shoulders. The Ice Queen swooped in and snatched him into the air.

"Ice Queen!" Fiona cried angrily.

Prince Gumball writhed in her grasp. "Help!"

Ice Queen laughed shrilly. "This time the Prince _will_ be mine! And there's nothing you can do to stop me, tomboy!" She flew up into the air, headed back to the Ice Kingdom.

"Come on, Cake! We gotta go after them!"

"You got it, baby!"

Cake stretched to twice her normal size. Fiona climbed onto her back and they took off after the Ice Queen and her captive. Fiona could barely see the Ice Queen and hear Gumball's screams as they followed her back to the Ice Kingdom. But as she followed her, something felt a little off. Snow started to fall as they entered the Ice Kingdom. She glimpsed the Ice Queen disappear into her lair at the peak of the highest mountain.

"She's up there!" she said, pointing to the cave at the peak.

Stretching her legs, Cake carried them up to the entrance of the cave. When they reached the opening, Fiona leaped inside, Cake right behind her. But Ice Queen and Prince Gumball were nowhere to be found. The little prison in the corner of the room was empty.

"Ice Queen!" Fiona shouted. "Where are you?!"

She could faintly hear Ice Queen's shrill laughter. But it was coming from below them.

"I think she's below us, honey," Cake said.

"Then there's gotta be a door somewhere."

"Over there!"

Cake and Fiona rushed through the doorway in the opposite wall. Just beyond it was an icy spiral staircase that wound down deep into the mountain. The two of them raced down the slippery steps, all the while the Ice Queen's laughter growing louder. The deeper they went, the colder it became. But finally Fiona could see the door at the bottom of the stairs. She skidded to a stop as they raced through the doorway..Ice Queen stood in front of a large, icy mirror. Prince Gumball stood frozen in place in the corner of the room.

"Gumball!" Fiona cried.

Ice Queen turned around, laughing maniacally.

"Fiona, run! It's a trap!" Prince Gumball shouted.

"Huh?" She glanced at the Ice Queen.

Behind the Ice Queen stood the mirror. And that's when she realized that the queen wasn't reflected on its surface. Instead, and old man with a long white beard and pointy nose was staring out at them.

"The heck?!"

Suddenly a hand shot out from the mirror. The old man was coming through the mirror! He pulled himself out toward them. Fiona snatched her sword from her backpack. Ice Queen shot a bolt of magic at her, freezing Fiona's hands in a block of ice. The old man laughed excitedly as he freed himself from the mirror. Cake leaped at them, but the old man knocked her aside

"Who the heck are you?" Fiona shouted.

"Oh, Fiona, I knew you existed. I just knew it!" the old man said. "I am the all-powerful Ice King!"

"You're _married_?" Fiona said, looking at the Ice Queen.

"Of course not!" she cried. "That's why I'm collecting princes, you dolt! He is from another world, so he's like a much less attractive me."

"That's right, Fiona," The Ice King said. "And now that I've finally found you, we shall go back to my world!"

"What?!" Fiona desperately tried to get the ice shackles off. "Heck no! Cake!"

Cake groaned. Ice King had hit her pretty hard and she was still dizzy. The Ice King snatched Fiona up and dragged her toward the mirror. All the while she fought against him.

"Come now, Fiona. It's not so bad! We'll be together forever and ever," he said, grinning.

"Noooooo!"

"Fiona!" Gumball shouted.

Ice King stepped into the mirror, dragging Fiona along with him. Cake sat up slowly, rubbing her head. She groaned. She glanced up just in time to see Fiona screaming for help as she struggled against the old man. But she was pulled beneath the surface of the mirror.

"Fiona!" Cake cried. She leaped up and rushed toward the mirror. But the surface was hard. She couldn't go through.

"Ice Queen, what have you done?!" she shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "Where's Fiona?!"

"Gone! Forever!" She cackled. "Now no one can stand in my way!"

Cake pounded her paws against the glass. "Fiona! Fiona!" But the glass wouldn't budge.

"Cake!" Prince Gumball shouted. "Don't worry about me and go find help!"

"Prince Gumball," she said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Mochro will come help. Just find someone to help rescue Fiona!"

Cake nodded. "Okay…. Just sit tight, baby. Help'll be coming soon!"

The cat stumbled as she raced up the icy staircase, Ice Queen's shrill laughter ringing in her ears. Her mind was going a million miles a minute. What happened to Fiona? Where had the ugly blue man dragged her off to? Cake managed to find her way out of Ice Queen's lair in her flustered state. But who would she elicit for help? Prince Gumball was indisposed and Mochro would help, but his help wouldn't be enough. All of the other princes were useless in fights—after all, they were always the ones who needed saving. That's when the thought occurred to her.

"Marshall!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Marshall was floating in the living room of his house, strumming his base. It was almost sunset. He had woken up early that evening, which was unusual for him. But he had the sudden inspiration for a song and he had to get it down before it slipped away. Just as he was writing down the chorus, the front door slammed open.

"Marshall! Marshall, help! We got trouble!" the cat screamed frantically.

He jumped. Marshall rounded on her, glaring at her with his glowing red eyes.

"What the heck! Don't just barge into my house like that, you stupid cat!"

Cake rushed toward him, undeterred by his fearsome glare. She clutched his shirt desperately. "Marshall, you've got to help me!"

He arched and eyebrow. "What's goin' on? Never seen you so freaked out before."

"It's Fiona!"

"Fiona?" The panic was finally starting to register. There's no way Cake would be this frantic about anything except if Fiona was in danger. "Where _is _Fiona?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" she shouted. "We went to save Prince Gumball from the Ice Queen, and then this weird old guy came out of her mirror and snatched Fiona, and the old man and Ice Queen were plotting it and he's got her! He's got Fiona and taken her away somewhere!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there, kitty," he said. "So what happened to Fiona?"

"I_ told_ you!" she shrieked in frustration. "This old guy kidnapped her and took her through the mirror! She's been kidnapped!"

He could tell by her tone and panic that this was no joke. He slung his axe-bass across his back. "Let's go," he said. "Let's go get Fiona back."

**_Chapter 13 will be up on Monday!_**


	13. Chapter 13

_**I haven't decided how long I'm going to make this fanfic, but since I don't have that many ideas, I don't think it will be all that long. But I hope you will all enjoy it until the end! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think if it so far! (and if you have any ideas you'd like to see me put in the story ;)**_

**Chapter 13**

Cake led Marshall back to the Ice Kingdom, ready to save Fiona. It was dusk by the time they made it back to the Ice Queen's lair. Cake spotted Lord Monochromicorn circling the highest peak. Marshall soared up to the opening in at the top, Cake stretching up after him.

"Hiya, gorgeous," she muttered sweetly when she saw Mochro.

"So where was the mirror thing?" Marshall asked.

"This way. It's down in the basement." Cake led them through a doorway that led to a flight of icy spiral stairs.

Ice Queen's shrill laughter echoed in the icy chamber. The door at the base of the stairs was locked, an eerie blue glow emanating from beneath the door. Prince Gumball's frightened voice echoed from behind it. Mochro kicked the door in. Cake burst into the room. The mirror stood exactly where it had been earlier. Ice Queen was leaning close to the frozen prince, attempting a kiss. A look of disgust crossed Gumball's face. But when he saw the three of them, his face brightened.

"Thank goodness!" he cried. "I knew you'd be back!"

Mochro launched at the queen knocking her aside.

"How dare you!" she cried. "Just when things were getting good with me and my Gumball!"

Lord Monochromicorn set to work chipping away at the ice around Prince Gumball. Marshall swooped toward the Ice Queen and snatched her by the front of her dress.

"What did you do with her, Sharon?" he said angrily.

Cake arched an eyebrow. "Sharon?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ice Queen said, turning away in a huff. "I haven't done a thing."

"Quit playing!" He shook her slightly. "Where's Fiona? What did you do to her?!"

"Ha! That little tomboy? She's gone!" She sneered. "I sent her away—for good!"

"Dang it, Sharon! Where'd you send her?!"

"That's right!" Gumball said, striding toward them. Thankfully it hadn't taken long for Mochro to free him from the ice. Hands on his hips, he stared down at the Ice Queen. "I've never seen you use magic like that before. So where did you send Fiona?"

"Like I have any reason to tell you!" A shroud of blue magic glowed around her hands. Cake snatched the golden tiara from her head. Ice Queen gasped as her magic drained away. "My magic tiara! Give it back!"

"Nu-uh! You tell me where you sent my girl, Ice Queen!" Cake demanded. "What did you do to my baby?"

Ice Queen folded her arms in annoyance. "Hmph! It wasn't anything, really. I just cast a spell on my mirror to connect to another dimension, that's all. And some silver fox called Ice King said her wanted Fiona, so I let him take her."

"You what?!" Marshall shouted, eyes glowing red with rage.

Prince Gumball gasped. "That hideous old man wanted Fiona? Whatever for?"

"Probably to marry her," Ice Queen said. "Can't understand why. She's just an annoying little girl."

Marshall yanked her closer. "How do we get there? Tell me!"

"Why do you care?!" She scowled at him.

"Because she's important to me! Now tell me how to get there, Sharon!"

She sighed. "I can send you there," she muttered. "But you'll have to find your own way back."

He let go of Ice Queen roughly. "Fine by me."

"Mochro and I are coming too," Prince Gumball said, stepping closer.

Cake shook her head. "Sorry, Prince. But you'd better stay here."

"And why in heaven's name should I do that?!"

"What about the Candy Kingdom?" Cake pointed out. "What will they do without you? It's not like you can appoint that weird Lemonetta…or whatever her name was. Girl's got too many problems."

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right. What do you think Mochro?"

Lord Monochromicorn stamped his hoof several times, as if he were talking in Morse code. Cake nodded. Gumball sighed.

"I suppose you have a point then." Gumball smiled. "Mochro and I will remain here. So in that case, take care, Cake." He frowned. "Marshall."

Marshall rolled his eyes. "You're _highness_," he said sarcastically.

Prince Gumball climbed onto Lord Monochromicorn's back. "Bring back Fiona safe and sound. I'm counting on you two." Mochro took off up the stairs, the Prince on his back.

Cake held out Ice Queen's tiara. She snatched it away from the cat and put it gently back on. She turned toward the mirror, annoyed that her sweet time with the Prince had been thwarted.

"World alike in sun and snow, show me what I want to know!" Ice Queen said.

A shroud of blue magic engulfed her hands and she zapped the icy mirror. The surface seemed to be made of liquid as it rippled. The mirror reflected a familiar looking wooden house. It looked like the inside of Fiona and Cakes tree house…only messier.

"That's not the same place as before!" Cake cried.

"I can't get it right every time!" she shouted in annoyance. "But I guarantee it's the same universe I sent that stupid girl to! So are you going or not?!"

Cake leaned closer. "I dunno. It kind of looks like our tree house, not another universe."

Marshall snatched her paw and floated toward the surface. "C'mon. Let's go, kitty."

"Wait! Marshall, I'm not sure it's the right dimension!"

"It is," he muttered. He glanced back at the Ice Queen. "I can tell she's not lying."

He touched the mirror's surface with his hand. It passed right through as if he had stuck in a pool of water. It felt unbearably cold, but it wasn't wet. He dragged the protesting cat along behind him as they melted into the mirror. Finally they tumbled out on the other side. Cake flopped onto the floor as Marshall glanced around. The mirror behind them reflected Ice Queen's lair only for a moment before the image disappeared completely. The room indeed looked just like Fiona's house, only there was more garbage and clothes lying around. Sunlight streamed in through the window. An odd scent wafted in from downstairs.

"Bacon pancakes~ makin' bacon pancakes! Makin' bacon and puttin' it in a pancake! Bacon pancaaaaaaaaakes~" an unfamiliar male voice sang.

Marshall hovered toward the stairs, Cake close behind him.

She sniffed the air. "Mmmm-mm! Smells like bacon, baby!"

"Let's check it out," Marshall said.

They quietly crept downstairs and explored the house. The voice continued to sing about bacon pancakes. But as they drew closer to the kitchen, the voice suddenly stopped. Marshall leaned around the corner. A yellow dog was standing over a stove, cooking bacon pancakes. The dog sniffed the air.

"Dude, what's that weird smell?" the dog muttered. He sniffed the air again. "Smells like cat."

Cake gasped, her tail bushing out when she saw the dog. "Dog!" she hissed.

The dog spun around. "Cat!" He started barking madly, stretching toward her. Cake hissed back at him, all her fur standing on end. Marshall lunged forward and hissed, baring his sharp vampire fangs. The dog leaped back in surprise, clutching his heart.

"Marcy don't scare me like—" He narrowed his eyes, getting a better look at the vampire. "Hey wait, you're not Marceline! Who the heck are you guys?!"

"Hey, dog." Marshall swooped in closer. "We're in a bit of a hurry, so maybe you can help some bros out."

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down!" the dog said. "You're a vampire right? You related to Marceline?"

Marshall arched an eyebrow. "Who's that?"

"Marceline. You know, the Vampire Queen."

Marshall laughed. "Vampire _Queen_? Yeah right! There's no Vampire Queen because I'm the Vampire _King_! Name's Marshall Lee."

"Whoa!" the dog's tail started wagging excitedly. "You're the Vampire King?! That's so math, man! SO how come you don't know Marcy?"

"We're not exactly from around here," he said.

The dog crossed his arms. "Yeah, I kinda figured. I would've remembered if I knew about any _cats_ around here."

Cake hissed, glaring at him. "We're not from around here, dog! Ice Queen sent us here through some mirror. We came to save my girl, Fiona. She was kidnapped."

"Wait…Vampire King, Ice Queen…Fiona?" The dog scratched his head, confused. "Wait so you're like the us from another world, right?"

Marshall shrugged. "I guess."

"Whoa! That's cool! I heard Princess Bubblegum saying something about that kind of stuff, but it all sounded like sciency-gobbldy-gack."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Marshall said, annoyed. "So you gonna help us or what, dog?"

"Sure, we'll help you!"

Cake leaned around the doorframe. "We?"

"Yeah, we. My name's Jake. Me and Finn save people all the time! We'll help you save this Fiona person."

"We haven't seen anyone else around here," Cake said, glancing around. "Is this _Finn_ a dog too?"

Jake laughed. "Nah. Finn's a human! He's out with Flame Princess right now, but he'll be back soon."

"A human?!" Cake cried, finally coming out from hall. "I thought Fiona was the only human!"

"In _our_ world, she is," Marshall reminded her. "This Finn guy must be this world's 'Fiona.' So he's the only human in this world."

"Oh…right."

"Fiona's a human, huh?" Jake laughed. "Never thought I'd meet another one. I thought my bro was the only one left too."

The bang of a door opening echoed in the house.

"Jake?" a male voice called.

"In the kitchen, dude!" the dog shouted back.

A boy walked into the kitchen. He looked exactly like the male version of Fiona—green backpack, white hat, and blue shirt. "Hey, Jake. Me and Flame Princess were gonna," he paused when he saw Marshall and Cake. "Whoa! Who are these guys?"

Jake shrugged. "Dunno. They just showed up in our house askin' for us to help them save some girl."

"A girl? Is she a princess?" Finn asked.

Cake approached him hesitantly. "So you're Finn, huh?" She sniffed him. "Ew! Boy, you definitely don't smell like Fiona! You sure this kid's a human?"

"You darn tootin'!" Jake said. "He's also the most righteous kid you'll ever meet!"

"I'd argue that!" Cake's tail bushed out. "Fiona is the most righteous, pure-hearted—"

"Hey, calm down, guys," Finn said. "So who are we saving?"

"Her name's Fiona," Marshall said.

"Whoa! Hey, Jake, that guy looks just like Marceline!"

"I know, dude," Jake said, wagging his tail. "I thought the same thing! And get this, he said he's the Vampire _King_!"

Finn's eyes widened. "No. Way."

Marshall rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I doubt a kid like you would be much help anyway." He glanced down at Cake. "Come on, kitty. Let's go."

"Wait!" Finn said. "Do you guys even know where you're going?"

"Nah. But I'll figure it out," Marshall muttered.

"Then come on, man. Let us help! Rescuing princesses is my deal!" He grinned.

"Why not, Marshall?" Cake whispered. "We can use all the help we can get."

He sighed. "Fine…."

"Great!" Finn said excitedly. "So who're we saving?"

"Her name's Fiona," Cake said.

"Fiona…I don't think I've met Princess Fiona yet," Jake said, wracking his brains.

Cake laughed. "That's because she's not a princess."

"Not a princess?" Jake and Finn glanced at each other. "Then…who is she?"

Marshall hesitated. "A human."

_**Chapter 14 will be up on Monday!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**So so so sorry it's really late, guys. But exams are coming up and I have so many papers and projects due, plus studying. So I apologize for not delivering on my promise. Because I'm so busy, I'm going to try to update regularly, but I can't guarantee anything. So just keep checking back for updates.**_

**Chapter 14**

"Yo, Jake! You know where I put my sword?" Finn hollered.

"Which one?"

"Dad's sword," he said. "You know. The red one we got from Dad's dungeon."

"You stuck it in the closet with your backpack, dude," Jake answered.

"Can't you boys hurry it up?" Cake said impatiently, paws on her hips.

Finn was busy stuffing supplies in his green backpack. Jake sat by the door, waiting for him. Marshall floated beside him, arms folded as he waited.

"Calm down, sister," Jake said. "Finn's got this under control. He can save your Fiona like that!" he snapped his fingers.

Cake rolled her eyes. "I just want to get goin' soon! Who knows what that old creep is doin' to my baby."

Marshall glanced out the window. The sun was just beginning to set. "We'd better get this over with before the sun rises."

"Oh yeah," Finn said. "I almost forgot about that. Don't want you to burn up in the sun."

"So do we have any idea where this guy lives?" Marshall asked.

Cake shrugged.

"Who did you say kidnapped her?" Jake asked.

"It was some old guy with a long white beard and a magic crown. I think Ice Queen called him the Ice King."

"Ice King?!" Finn and Jake shouted.

Finn pulled slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Ice King's up to his dirty tricks again? The old guy just never learns!"

"So you know where his lair is?" Marshall asked.

"Oh yeah!" Jake opened the door, the others filing out. "He lives in the tallest peak in the Ice Kingdom. It's a long walk, but with my powers we should get there in no time!"

Finn hopped on Jake's back as he stretched to more than twice his normal size.

Marshall chuckled. "The dog's just like you, kitty cat."

"Shut up!" She shoved him aside and stretched herself to match the dog's size.

"C'mon, Jake!" Finn was brimming with excitement. "You ready, guys? Let's go!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

"Old guy…what are you doing?" Fiona asked.

The old man with the long white beard was dancing around excitedly. A cluster of penguins was watching him closely. He sang and danced gleefully, almost as if he had forgotten that Fiona was even there. He had frozen Fiona in a block of ice so that only her head was free. Finally he stopped and approached her.

"Oh, Fiona, I always knew this day would come," he said, his eyes gleaming. "I knew I'd find you eventually. And now that I have, everything will be perfect!"

"What are you talking about? And who are you anyway?"

"Wank!" one of the penguins cried.

"You're right, Gunther. I guess I haven't explained yet."

Fiona arched an eyebrow. "Explained what?"

"I am the Ice King," he said with a wide grin. "And I've brought you to my domain, the Ice Kingdom!"

"Huh? Ice King? So are you like married to Ice Queen or something?"

He laughed. "Of course not, silly!" He strode over to a chest made of ice and rummaged through its contents. He pulled out several self-bound books with horribly drawn pictures on the front. "You see, for years I've been writing stories about your adventures with Cake and Prince Gumball, and even Marshall Lee! But I knew that somewhere out there, you weren't just in my imagination…you were out there somewhere."

Fiona glanced at the cover of one of the books. "The Adventures of Fiona and Cake…" she read under her breath. "Hey wait! Have you been spying on us?!"

He giggled like a school girl. "I wouldn't call it _spying_, but I know everything about you Fiona. And now that I've found you, I'll never let you go!"

"What?!"

"This is the happiest moment of my life!"

Fiona struggled, but she the ice around her was frozen solid. She couldn't move at all. "Let me go, you freak!"

"I'm going to be your best and closest friend! And then, after we've done all the fun friend-bonding junk, you'll be my bride!"

"No way! Let me go, guy!" she shouted frantically. There was no way she'd marry some creepy old man she never met before. She didn't even like him…not even a little!

"Oh come on, it's not so bad," he said. "We'll get married, and capture princesses together. And we can eat all our meals together, just like in my books! It will be the best thing ever!"

"No!" She struggled, but she couldn't even make the ice budge. "Cake, help me!"

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Cake's ears pricked up. "Did you hear that?"

Jake lifted an ear, listening closely. "Yeah. Sounded like a girl screaming for cake. But if you ask me, pie is way better!"

"No, you idiot!" Cake hissed. "Not cake the food! Cake the cat!"

"What kind of a name is Cake?" Jake laughed.

"That's my name!" she shouted. "Fiona's in trouble and she callin' me!"

"Ice King must be trying to marry her or something," Finn said. "He's always doing crazy junk like that to girls. But it's weird that he's doing it to this Fiona girl…he's usually only interested in princesses."

"Oh, my poor baby! Please please please be okay…just hang on, Fiona."

Marshall was getting impatient. He had been quiet for almost the whole trek. "How far until we get to the Ice Kingdom anyway?"

"It's right up there." Finn pointed off in the distance. Just beyond the hills, they could glimpse the snow-covered peaks and icy landscape of the Ice Kingdom. In the light of the moon, the snow glistened and sparkled. But ice had never looked less appealing to Marshall than it did now.

"You said you fight this guy a lot?" Cake asked.

"Shoot yeah! All the time!" Finn laughed. "He's always messin' with princesses and making them cry."

Jake nodded. "And you know how we heroes do it! Gotta save the ladies and all."

"Yeah, man!" Finn and Jake fist pumped. "He's not all that evil, but he's pretty bad. And beating up bad guys is my thing."

"You sound a lot like my girl." She sighed. "I just hope she's okay. Right, Marshall?" She glanced up, but the Vampire King was gone. He had vanished while they had been talking. "Marshall? Marshall Lee!"

"Where'd the vampire guy go?" Finn asked.

"I don't know, but I've got a bad feeling," Cake muttered.

Jake kept going, not bothering to stop to look for Marshall. "Let's just keep going. I bet we'll see him eventually. He came here to help save Fiona after all, right?"

"Yeah, that's what he said. But that boy sure has been acting strange ever since I asked him for help." She sighed. "Let's just hope everything turns out alright."

_**Chapter 15 coming soon!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**So so so sorry it's super late guys. I was in the middle of studying, and then exams, and then I had no internet. But hopefully I should be back on track now! Thanks for your patience. And don't forget to review when you finish!**_

**Chapter 15**

"Let me outta here, guy!" Fiona shouted, her legs and hands immobile.

The Ice King had freed her just enough so he could put her in a fluffy white wedding dress. But he kept her hands and feet frozen in huge blocks of ice. When he melted her earlier, she had tried to attack him. But he froze her solid before she could get close enough. She frowned as she watched him pace back and forth amongst his penguins.

"Oh, come now, Fiona," he said. "Now that we're together, everything will be perfect! You and me were meant to be!"

"Not in this universe, buddy!"

"So if it was in yours, it would be okay?" He eyes gleamed with excitement.

"No! That's not what I meant!"

"Did you hear that, Gunther?" He leaned down, grinning at one of his hundreds of identical penguins.

"Wank!"

"That's right! She _did_ agree!" He straightened up, scratching his beard thoughtfully. "Now I just have to figure out how to get back to that other world. What was it called? 'Aa'?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. It's called _Oo_, duh!"

Ice King laughed. "Don't be ridiculous! _This_ is Oo. There can't be two Oo's."

"Uhg! Will you just listen to me?!" She ground her teeth in frustration. "I _don't _ know who you are, I _don't_ want to marry you, and I _won't_ change my mind! Now let me outta here!"

"No!" He whirled around, frowning at her. "I won't let you go until you agree to become my bride!"

"Glob, where are you, Cake?!" She struggled in her icy restraints. "Hurry up before this old guy actually makes me marry him!"

"Your precious Cake isn't coming," the Ice King said matter-of-factly. "Only a wizard can make a portal like that one. And I doubt that Queen back in your world would do that willingly. She didn't seem to like you girls for some reason."

"Yeah," she said sarcastically. "That's because she snatches princes and tries to make them marry her against their will! And we always stop her!"

"Hmm." He scratched his beard. "Why does that sound so familiar? It's like you remind me of someone…." He shrugged. "No matter. The preparations are almost complete and then you'll become my beautiful, hero bride. Oh, Fiona! I'm so happy!" He laughed with giddiness. "Nothing could ever ruin this day!"

A loud crash echoed in the icy lair. Shards of ice littered the floor beneath a large broken window. A blur of red, black, and blue swooped into the room and rammed into the Ice King at full force. The old man slid across the floor, crashing into the wall and knocking over a few penguins. A familiar vampire in his usual plaid shirt floated not far from where the king had stood.

"Wanna bet?" Marshall grumbled.

"Marshall Lee!" Fiona cried, relief washing over her.

He cast her a mischievous grin. "Hey, kitten. Looks like you got yourself in stuck. What happened to your heroics? Cold feet?"

She frowned at him. "Cut it out, Marshall! I'm kind frozen at the moment." She gestured to her feet and hands that were still frozen in ice.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Wha? Is that you, Marceline?" Ice King sat up a little, rubbing his sore head. "What are you doing?"

He glared at the old man. Swooping down in front of him, he snatched the Ice King by his blue robe. "Why the heck does everyone keep calling me Marceline?! I'm _Marshall Lee_, the Vampire King!" He yanked him closer. "And who the glob are you, huh?"

"How dare you! Trying to steal my bride are you?!" His hands glowed blue with magic. "I'll teach you to come between me and my Fiona!"

Marshall smacked the golden crown off his head. Ice King gasped as his powers fizzled out and disappeared completely.

"My magic crown! My powers!"

The furious vampire hoisted Ice King off the floor, his grip tightening on his blue robe. His eyes glowed red as he glared at the old man. "Your Fiona? _Your_ Fiona?!" he shouted. His body started to morph, stretching and expanding in size. His clothes melted away, replaced with thick black and blue fur. Wide pointed ears replaced his normal ones and his eyes grew as big as the Ice King's head, glowing red with rage. Two leathery black wings sprouted from his back as his enormous bat form took shape. He loomed over the old man, glowering at his defenseless form as he held him in his strong grip.

"And just who made her _your_ Fiona, you sick old man?!" he roared.

Fiona's eyes widened.

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there, guy! Let's talk this over!" Ice King said frantically.

"Ice King!" Finn shouted, leaping through the open window. He skidded to a halt, Jake and Cake filing in beside him. He gasped, shocked to see Ice King so defenseless at the hands of the giant bat-Marshall.

Cake gasped "Marshall! What are you doing?!"

"Dude, stop!" Jake shouted.

"Taking care of the creep who snatched Fiona!" he growled. "Permanently!"

"Now just wait a second!" Cake cried.

Marshall wrapped his hands around the Ice King's body and started to squeeze. He laughed evilly as he felt small pops between his fingers.

"Marshall, stop!" Fiona shouted.

"Why should I?!" He glowered down at her. "He's the one who kidnapped you and tried to force you to _marry_ him, for glob's sake!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to kill the old dude!"

Jake elbowed Finn in the ribs. "Dude, go help Fiona out."

"Oh. Right."

Finn hurried over to Fiona and started hacking away at her ice restraints with his sword. Once he freed one of her hands, Fiona smashed the other with her fist. Finn released a low whistle. The only other person he knew who had righteous strength like that was, well, himself. Fiona rushed over to the enormous bat-version Marshall.

"Put him down, Marshall!" she demanded.

Grumbling, Marshall tossed the old man aside. His bat form shrank and melted away to his normal vampire form. The Ice King sat up slowly, rubbing his sore head.

"Of all the rude…" Ice King mumbled. "trying to take away my—"

Marshall rounded on him and hissed. Ice King jumped, screaming in fright. Cake rushed to Fiona's side.

"Oh, Fiona! Are you okay, baby?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How'd you get here so fast? And who the heck are these guys?" Fiona pointed to the boys.

"I'm Finn and this is Jake." Finn gestured to the yellow dog. "They showed up in our house and asked us to help them save you."

Jake nodded. "Totally. Weird though, Ice King only kidnaps princesses." He arched an eyebrow. "You sure you're not a princess?"

Fiona laughed. "No way! But thanks, guys."

Marshall folded his arms and turned away in a huff. Fiona walked up to him tentatively. "And thanks Marshall. I didn't think Cake would ask you to come help."

"Hmph! Well you sure didn't seem to want my help." He cast a glare at the Ice King.

"Oh come on." She rolled her eyes. "You know that's not true. You're not so bad, you know. So stop trying to act cool. After all, you came to save me, so that must mean you care."

He chuckled darkly. "Not so bad? You don't get it do you? Why the heck do you think I'd come save you anyway?"

"Uh, duh! Because we're friends."

"Oh no-o-o-o-o," he said sarcastically. "Not _friends_! You think something as petty as being _friends_ would make me come save you?"

Cake tugged on Fiona's sleeve. "Come on, girl. Let's just get outta here and go home."

Fiona tugged her arm from the cat's grasp. "Well, yeah! Why else would you come all the way here with Cake? It's not like you did it because you were bored!"

"Yeah? Is that what you think?!" He leaned closer, voice rising in anger. "Glob! You are seriously one of the densest girls I have every met! You're worse than Ashley!"

"What the hey?!" Fiona took a step back. "Ashley? Who's Ashley? And why am I dense?!"

Jake leaned over to Finn. "Whoa, dude! This is getting intense," he whispered.

"Ashley was my girlfriend." He shook his head. "No, that's not the point! I mean—ugh! Why can't you get it through your thick skull, Fiona?!"

"Because you're not making sense!" she protested.

"I LIKE YOU!"

Fiona blinked, surprised. Cake gasped.

"O-o-o-oh," Jake muttered mockingly.

"Oh, holy cow!" Finn said.

Marshall groaned. "Geez, girl! How dense can you be?!"

"Wait…you," she hesitated. "You _like_ me?"

Cake looked nervously from Fiona to Marshall and back again.

He shook his head. "Whatever. Just forget it! Let's just get home. The sun's coming up and I don't really feel like getting burned to death." Marshall snatched Ice King by his blue robe and hoisted him up. "So hurry up and send us back, you freaky old man!"

"Okay okay!" Ice King held up his hands to show he wouldn't do anything. "But I need my crown first. I can't use magic without it."

Cake handed him the magic golden crown. The Ice King put it on and cracked his knuckles.

"Now let's see, what was that spell again?" he muttered. "Oh right!" His hands glowed as a shroud of blue magic engulfed them. "World alike in sun and snow, show me what I want to know!"

He zapped the mirror in the corner with his magic. The surface of the icy mirror rippled like water. The images reflected on it were hazy but slowly they melted into a familiar backdrop. It was the tree house. Fiona and Cake walked up to it tentatively. Jake cocked his head, unconvinced.

"You sure that spell wasn't whacked? That looks like _our_ tree house," Jake said.

"Yeah, man. That looks like our house," Finn agreed.

"No, no! That's Fiona and Cake's tree house!" Ice King insisted.

Fiona squinted. A familiar pink and purple figure paced back and forth in the room beyond the mirror's surface. She grinned. "Yeah, that's Prince Gumball! That's definitely our house!"

"Thank goodness," Cake sighed.

"Thanks again for your help, guys," Fiona said, grinning back at them.

"If you're every in our neck of the woods, drop by and see us. Okay, baby?"

Finn gave them a thumbs up. "You bet!"

Fiona and Cake pulled themselves through the icy mirror's surface. They passed right through as if they had climbed in a pool of water. It felt unbearably cold, but it wasn't wet. The two tumbled onto the floor on the other side. Marshall floated in behind them. Prince Gumball gasped, jumping at the sudden thud behind him. He sighed, relief washing over his face when he saw them.

"Oh thank heavens! You're back!" he said, smiling down at them.

"Glad to see you're okay too." Fiona dusted off his skirt.

"Yeah, well now that everyone's getting cozy," Marshall grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I'm outta here." He floated toward the door. There was still an hour before the sun came up and he really needed to make it back to his house before then.

"Marshall, wait!" Fiona hurried after them.

"Forget about it, okay!" He shouted, rounding on her. "Just forget it. I'm going home. I'll see you later, Fiona."

He took off into the night without another word.

Gumball arched an eyebrow. "What's his problem?"

"Oh," Cake said with a sigh. "He's just upset because he blurted out that he likes Fiona."

"He what?!"

"Cake," Fiona moaned. "What do I do? What should I say to him?"

Cake shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? You're the only one that knows that."

"But—"

"You need to respond to his confession, Fiona. If you like him back—as _more_ than a friend—tell him. If you don't, then tell him you want to stay friends." She sighed. "I can't help you with this one, girl."

She groaned. "Great…just what I needed…."

**_Chapter 16 will be up next week!_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**I know it's short, so I apologize. I'm pretty much out of ideas, so this fanfic is coming to a close. But I hope you've enjoyed it! Don't forget to review!**_

**Chapter 16**

It had been nearly a week since Fiona sat on the bed, one of B-MO's controllers in her hands. Cake sat beside her as they played video games. There was an explosion on B-MO's screen and Fiona tossed the controller aside, shouting angrily.

"Uhg! You won again!" she grumbled.

"Ha ha! Better luck next time, baby!"

"Would you like to try again?" B-MO asked in her robot voice.

"Nah, I don't wanna play any more video games. Maybe later."

"What's wrong with you, girl?" Cake scrutinized her. Fiona had seemed a little down ever since they rescued her from that crazy Ice King guy. "You feeling okay? You haven't been acting like yourself lately."

Fiona sighed. "I don't know. I've just been thinking about what Marshall said."

Cake snickered. "You mean about his little confession?"

Fiona nodded.

"So what'cha gonna do about it, hm?" She leaned closer and gave Fiona a teasing grin. "You gonna tell him how you feel?"

Fiona blushed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on!" She elbowed her in the side. "That boy won't wait forever! Well…I mean he'll be alive forever, but that doesn't mean he'll wait on _you_ forever."

"Uhg! I know I know!" Fiona sighed. "I just don't know what I should say, that's all."

"Oh that's easy! Just tell him how you feel, girl!"

Fiona rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say."

"Fiona, look. Either you like him or you don't." Cake patter her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Let me ask you something. When you're with Marshall, how do you feel?"

She was quiet a moment. Finally she sighed. "I-I don't know…I mean, he's a lot of fun and I really like hanging out with him."

"Good good. And?"

"Well…sometimes, when I'm with him my brain goes all stupid and I don't know what I should do or or what to say and I just…I don't know."

"You know, I think he's the one you should tell all that to. Not me."

Fiona glanced, up a look of uncertainty on her face. "I dunno, Cake…you think so?"

"Totally! Why don't we go now? I'll bet he's dying to hear your answer."

"Fine…." She stood up slowly. "Let's get this over with."

**V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V***

Fiona knocked on Marshall's door, Cake standing beside her. It had been ages since they visited him at his house in the cave. For some reason, standing there at his door made her heart pound incredibly fast. She had never felt so nervous in her life! She had never felt this way with Marshall before…at least not to this extent. Finally the door opened. Marshall hovered in the doorway.

"Oh, hey, Fiona," he said. "What's up?"

Cake nudged her forward.

Playing with her hair absentmindedly, Fiona fidgeted nervously. "Um, heeeey…uh, about what you said a while ago. You know, back in the tree house?"

His face turned slightly red, but he frowned. "Yeah, I remember," he grumbled. "What about it?"

"Uh, well…."

"What is it?" he said quickly, his temper rising. "Stop playing around and just spit it out! Are you trying to annoy me?!"

"I'm not doing it on purpose!" she shouted. She glanced at Cake.

"Go on," she whispered. "Don't give up! Tell him how you feel!"

Fiona took a deep breath. "Look, Marshall. I-I like you…I think I _like_ like you. Listen…when I'm with you, I always have a lot of fun and I really like hanging out with you. And sometimes when I'm with you, my brain goes all stupid and I just wanna make music with you and play B-MO with you and stuff. A-and I don't know why but I think we E

"Whoa! Hold up there, doll face," he said quickly. "Did you just say you _like_ like me?"

She blushed a deep shade of red. "Yeah, alright! I like you!"

He chuckled. "You know, I love it when your face turns that delicious shade of red." He leaned closer. "You're really cute when you're mad, you know that?"

She shoved him playfully. "Cut it out, dude! It's really embarrassing!"

Marshall laughed. "Glob, Fiona. I never thought you'd actually answer me. I thought I was the only one who, you know, felt this way."

Cake squealed with excitement as she withed it unfold.

Floating closer, Marshall tilted Fiona's chin up. "So, kitten, what do you say to a little fun tonight? Just you and me."

"Yes!" Cake shouted. "She'd love to!"

He laughed. "Cool. It's a date."

"Uh, yeah!" Fiona giggled. "A-a date."

"See you then, doll face." He closed the door, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Oh, Fiona! I'm so excited!" Cake cried.

"Why? _You're _ not the one going on the date."

"Oh, I know, but I'm just so happy for you! I mean, he's a vampire and stuff and you're a human, but I still think it's great for you!"

As they started to walk back home, Cake elbowed her in the side. "Look, girl. Before you go on this date, let me explain some stuff about dating." She stretched her arm into a long tiered staircase. "Right now, you'll be at tier one—which is hugging and stuff. But pretty soon you'll be at tier two, which is smoochin'. Then down the road you'll make it to tier five, where he'll let you discover all fifteen feet of his long, handsome," she purred, "muscular stomach. And after a while you'll make it to tier eight! Where you touch his horn for the very first time. Very special."

Fiona pointed to the last tier. "What about tier fifteen?"

"You stay away from that!" Cake shouted suddenly.

Fiona blinked, taken aback.

"Do _not _do tier fifteen!"

"Cake…I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That's okay sweetie." She smiled. "You'll know when you get there."


End file.
